What to expect in the 3rd test at P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo

[King Tendulkar]

To be fair possibly Indias greatest period of success in all forms of the game coincided with not having a coach!

[King]

Strange we don't hear much about Indian coach these days at all. During the times of Chappell there used to be an article at least once a day about Chappell's views. Wright was fairly low profile too but he did voice his opinion in the media once in a while. I haven't read a Kirsten interview since he became the Indian coach.

[DomainK]

Strange we don't hear much about Indian coach these days at all. During the times of Chappell there used to be an article at least once a day about Chappell's views. Wright was fairly low profile too but he did voice his opinion in the media once in a while. I haven't read a Kirsten interview since he became the Indian coach.

He has maintained a low profile right from the beginning and I like that.

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The drubbing in the second Test in Galle has forced the Sri Lankan selectors to explore changes in the fast bowling department with old war horses Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara in the scanner for their average performance in the match. It remains to be seen whether the selectors drop opener Michael Vandort in the third Test beginning in Colombo on Friday after his poor showing in the first two matches. More... Sri Lanka mulling changes for third Test August 05, 2008 16:07 IST The drubbing in the second Test in Galle has forced the Sri Lankan selectors to explore changes in the fast bowling department with old war horses Chaminda Vaas [images] and Nuwan Kulasekara in the scanner for their average performance in the match. It remains to be seen whether the selectors drop opener Michael Vandort in the third Test beginning in Colombo on Friday after his poor showing in the first two matches. After seeing India's Ishant Sharma exploding with three wickets in the second Test that added to the Sri Lankan woes as they were capitulating under the spin pressure, the Islanders are also looking for a young fast bowling option. The 25-year-old uncapped pace bowler Dammika Prasad who troubled the Indian batsmen in the practice game against Sri Lanka [images] Board XI could be one of the options, according to sources. The axe may fall on Kulasekara, who failed to extract pace in the first two Tests though he did manage to force Indian openers to be watchful against him in the initial overs of the previous matches. Kulasekara was averaging between 114 and 125 kms in the two matches. Prasad, capped thrice in One-Day Internationals in 2006, has since suffered a number of injuries before touring England [images] and Zimbabwe with Sri Lanka 'A' last year. "The selectors are discussing changes in the pace department and whether to continue with Michael Vandort," a source said. Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene [images] did feel the absence of an effective pacer in his side during the second Test after seeing Sharma extract pace of around 135-140 kms. "That's something for us to discuss. We felt that in these kind of conditions, usually the medium pacers are effective as well. Ishant is an exceptional bowler with his height and everything. He creates a bit of bounce on this kind of wicket. We just need to make a smart choice," the Sri Lankan captain had said after the Galle loss. "We will have a chat with the selectors, we have a few options in our squad. We will see what we can come up with," the dejected Jayawardene had said after squandering the advantage of winning the first Test by an innings and 239 runs at Colombo. In the event of Dilhara Fernando getting fit before the third Test he will be in the reckoning for a call up. The selectors are in a quandary on whether to drop their most successful pace bowler Chaminda Vaas, seeing the 34-year-old slow down considerably in the Galle Test though he got some wickets. As far as Vandort is concerned, though strong off the front foot on both sides of the wicket, he was found vulnerable to edging the fast bowlers. Even as Jayawardene feels the tall 28-year-old left-handed opener has played consistently in the last six months and getting runs, the selectors are not sure of retaining him for the third Test as well. The Sri Lankan captain is of the view that there could be a problem in the long run if one keeps "chopping and changing" in the opening batting department. The 27-year-old Thilan Thushara is also a new fast bowling prospect for the third Test having shown steady improvement. He made his Test debut against West Indies [images] in 2003, but failed to make the Test or ODI squad for the England tour later in the year. Thushara is also a hard striker of the ball and can fill in the problem of a highly vulnerable Sri Lankan tail. Jayawadene did feel the absence of an effective pacer in his side during the second Test. More...

[MundaPakistani]

SL's main problem is their pace bowling department. Currently the Indian batsmen can walk out there without there and play the entire innings without a helmet, the S Lankan keeper on the other hand can create some sort of a record by standing up to the stumps for the entire innings. Its hardly a mystery that the Lankan "pace" bowlers have gotten mere 5 wickets in 4 completed innings.

[Predator_05]

If the Lankans are smart, they will make two changes; 1. Bringing the pacy Dammikatesh Prasad into the team - he is far more likely to get those crucial early breakthroughs for SL than the mediocre Kulasekara or Vaas. Sehwag doesn't even respect seamers who lack the pace to beat the bat. This is something the SL team and coach shouldn't even think about. The most prolific run-scorers in the Indian XI are the openers - they cannot be afforded the luxury of getting off to a good start. Just stick him in and hope for the best 2. Chamara Silva to replace Dilshan. Silva plays spinners well and has the patience to score runs on difficult pitches. Dilshan is more of a hard hitter but you can't count on him to steady the innings the way Silva can. With Silva in the middle order, SL won't feel too hurt by the early losses of Sangakkara or Jayawardene. Him and Samaraweera could wear down the Indian spinners

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No cause for panic : Sangakkara Looking back at the Galle Test, I must say that one of the turning points was when Malinda [Warnapura] and I were dismissed in relatively quick succession in our first innings. The team needed one of us to go on and get a hundred. More... Kumar Sangakkara No cause for panic Sri Lanka were less than optimal at Galle, failing to build partnerships in particular, but all's not lost yet August 6, 2008 Jayawardene has been calm as a captain in the face of adversity, and he has been batting well too, which stands Sri Lanka in good stead © AFP Looking back at the Galle Test, I must say that one of the turning points was when Malinda [Warnapura] and I were dismissed in relatively quick succession in our first innings. The team needed one of us to go on and get a hundred. Not a particularly big hundred, but one that would have extended the partnership and given Sri Lanka a large total. That would have made it easier for the other guys to bat around. Mahela [Jayawardene] had to bat with the tail to get 80, and he batted brilliantly, but it would have helped him and the rest to have one of the top three go on to get something bigger. Overall, in our first innings we had a good chance of going on a ways past 300, but we didn't take that opportunity. That's one area where we stuttered. There seem to have been a few eyebrows raised over how Mahela batted with Nuwan Kulasekara, keeping strike and turning down opportunities to score. What Mahela was trying to do was shield Nuwan until he was set, and then there would have been more opportunities to score; they could have then taken singles. Unfortunately Mahela got out. Had that partnership progressed, there would have been opportunities to rotate singles, especially with Nuwan set. It was a creditable performance by Nuwan and a fantastic one by Mahela to get us to within 37 runs of India's score. The crucial part of our second-innings chase of 308 was failing to get a start. We lost three early wickets and there on it was an uphill task. After Mahela got out, Thilan [samaraweera] and [Tillakaratne] Dilshan shifted the momentum around a bit until Dilshan got out. That was a blow. It would have been very interesting to see the balance of the match shifting to and fro if he hadn't. The burst of wickets by [ishant] Sharma and Zak [Zaheer Khan] was probably the turning point in the second innings. It was not that we were trying to score against the opening bowlers before the two experienced spinners came on. We play the bowling on merit. We knew the first four to six overs were going to be difficult and they proved exactly that. Ishant bowled very well. The track did offer something for the fast bowlers if they hit the deck hard and hit the seam and bowled in the right channels. At the SSC there was nothing in it for Ishant to exploit other than with the new ball, but in Galle he settled down into a rhythm brilliantly - especially in that channel to right-handers. He kept asking questions and when you do that on a consistent basis, you get results. People underestimate pace bowlers on flat wickets, and that helps them get breakthroughs with the new ball. That can then set up the game for the spinners. Over the years Vaasy has managed to do that for us day in and day out Pace is always going to be crucial, especially on flat tracks. People underestimate pace bowlers on such wickets, and that helps them get breakthroughs with the new ball. That can then set up the game for the spinners. Over the years Vaasy [Chaminda Vaas] has managed to do that for us day in and day out, but it didn't happen in Galle. He did come back really well in his second and third spells. Nuwan, on the other hand, bowled brilliantly in the first Test. I thought he played a fantastic role up top, and in the first innings in Galle he started really well too, but [Virender] Sehwag was a big factor. That happens. As bowlers and as a side we must accept that it won't always go our way. That's why we have a varied bowling attack to take up different responsibilities. Credit to Mahela for handling himself so well in the face of Sehwag's attack. Nothing much was going our way but he was calm and collected - you need to think logically and rationally, which is what he did. That's how he's always been in his approach to his cricket. It's a great asset to have in tough situations and we as a team are very lucky to have it. Looking to the final Test, I don't think the P Saravanamuttu Stadium is going to be different from any other venue. It will be a good track, great to bat on, with a lot of turn on days four and five. It offers bowlers something if you really bend your back. It is way too early so say what changes, if any, we will make in the final Test. There is no reason to panic and I think all we have to do is raise our performance levels and have confidence in each other. We've done so well over the years and we know each other's abilities. That trust works well going into a game.

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Upton takes over Kirsten's role; and a green pitch at P Saravanamuttu Stadium? Paddy Upton, India's conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother. More... Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, Colombo Upton takes over Kirsten's role Jamie Alter in Colombo August 6, 2008 Paddy Upton has said that the team isn't losing sleep over the toss © AFP Paddy Upton, India's conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother. In Kirsten's absence, Upton wasn't worried about having to delegate responsibilities to the Indian team, instead stressing to make sure the basics are all in place for a must-win game for India. "Each person knows their role," he said during India's practice session at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium. "It's a case of just doing what we've always been doing and doing that well." Kirsten's hands-on role, especially working on fielding drills with seniors such as VVS Laxman or the two wicketkeepers, Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel, was obvious all series. Today that responsibility was shared between Upton and fielding coach Robin Singh, but Upton was comfortable being more conservative. "There are guys out there who have captained India," he said. "For me it's just a case of coordinating the expertise which is already in the team. Gary would give his expert input and receive input from the players, and even though he's not here, there are other experts." India already have two specialist coaches, Venkatesh Prasad (bowling) and Robin, plus Upton in the support staff, and the Indian board isn't rushing anybody as cover for Kirtsen. "The key is to prepare for every single possibility," Upton said. "Every game is critical in Test cricket. We know its 1-1 and we know how important it is. The players don't need too many reminders. Whether we win or lose the toss, our preparation is the same. We focus around what needs to happen to win. We're happy to take the consideration of the toss out of the picture." It was a pretty hot day, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, but not something India's players are unaccustomed to. Anil Kumble mentioned in Galle that players were allowed to leave training once they felt they had done enough, and Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly were no different. They practiced earlier in the morning and left to freshen up while the rest of the team stayed on till early afternoon. Parthiv had long batting and wicketkeeping stints but Upton said the choice of which wicketkeeper plays the final Test was not a decision he would be a part of. Sachin Tendulkar had the longest batting session, first receiving throw downs from Robin, virtually all of which were well timed, and then moved over to the nets, adjacent to Rohit Sharma's. Tendulkar, who needs 96 runs to overhaul Brian Lara's record of 11,953 runs in Tests, looked in a decent groove, though he was troubled a couple times by Prasad. Which brings us to the nature of the pitch. One glance at it revealed how hard it was, even under a green tinge. There was plenty of grass on the track, but even Geoffrey Boycott would have found it very difficult to force a key in there. Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn have all rattled teams here in recent years, and there looks to be some encouragement for the quicks, especially India's opening pairing of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan. It is a different game and different pitch from the last two matches but as Upton said, India's strategy was the same - go in and win.

[King Tendulkar]

What does a conditioning coach now about over all cricket matters. Prasad must be privately peed with this!

[sharma]

what does prasad know about batting?

[Fontaine]

Which brings us to the nature of the pitch. One glance at it revealed how hard it was, even under a green tinge. There was plenty of grass on the track, but even Geoffrey Boycott would have found it very difficult to force a key in there. Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn have all rattled teams here in recent years, and there looks to be some encouragement for the quicks, especially India's opening pairing of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.

Damn, I was hoping this would be the case. Now, all the more reason for the selection to be brave and go with the third seamer!

[Fontaine]

It looks like it's going to be a track that'll help the fast bowlers and spinners later on! Slight green on the top and traditionally, the pitch here offer good carry and bounce for guys like Sharma. I hope India use the pitch and go with the 3-2 bowling attack, drop Karthik and go with Dravid as the wicket keeper.

[King]

It looks like it's going to be a track that'll help the fast bowlers and spinners later on! Slight green on the top and traditionally, the pitch here offer good carry and bounce for guys like Sharma. I hope India use the pitch and go with the 3-2 bowling attack, drop Karthik and go with Dravid as the wicket keeper.

Very very strange suggestion that. One area India has extremely struggled is at wicket keeping. Why would you want to thrust Wicket keeping to a guy that last wicket kept 5 years ago? Makeshift openers, makeshift keepers, makeshift no.3s is one step forward 10 backwards. I'd still go with 4 bowler option and the only change I'll suggest is Parthiv for Karthik.

[SachDan]

It looks like it's going to be a track that'll help the fast bowlers and spinners later on! Slight green on the top and traditionally, the pitch here offer good carry and bounce for guys like Sharma. I hope India use the pitch and go with the 3-2 bowling attack, drop Karthik and go with Dravid as the wicket keeper.

Kartik should be axed...your suggestion regarding Dravid to keep wickets is not going to happen.Its very tiring to keep wickets in conditions such as the one in Sri Lanka.And to ask your no.3 to keep is the last thing team India can do at the moment.Middle order is yet to fire in the series so far and for that to happen we need WALL to be in perfect shape and mind the guy is due for big one and along with Sach..he has to make the middle order click for the team. Four bowlers combination is working to a certain extent.So just stick with it.

[DomainK]

Damn' date=' I was hoping this would be the case. Now, all the more reason for the selection to be brave and go with the third seamer![/quote'] I am surprised. The Indian fast bowlers out did the Lankans in the last match. Their top order couldnt handle them on a dead pitch, what will they do if the new ball moves? Besides, Indian middle order would be much happier to play on a swinging track than a spinning one.

[Fontaine]

Very very strange suggestion that. One area India has extremely struggled is at wicket keeping. Why would you want to thrust Wicket keeping to a guy that last wicket kept 5 years ago? Makeshift openers, makeshift keepers, makeshift no.3s is one step forward 10 backwards. I'd still go with 4 bowler option and the only change I'll suggest is Parthiv for Karthik.

Why would you want to thrust wicket keeping to a guy that last kept wickets 4 years ago and has absolutely zero experience batting against Murali and Mendis in Patel? I don't want Dravid to keep wickets but since Karthik has failed both with the bat and behind the stumps, I'm just saying that it's an option as the selectors originally felt Dravid to be the second WK only for Kumble to specifically ask for another 2nd wicket keeper so obviously some feel that he could come in and play at that role. I'm not saying it's an ideal solution or even a permanent one obviously. But I am saying that it's a better option to have Dravid as the wicket keeper than Parthiv because of the flexibility it would offer us in having an extra spot open depending of the conditions of the pitch and my belief that Patel will be in effective batting against Murali/Mendis.

[DomainK]

Not Dravid. We do need a full time wicket keeper. Poor Dravid is anyways trying to get his batting form back. The last thing he wants is an additional responsibility.

[msb1991]

What does a conditioning coach now about over all cricket matters. Prasad must be privately peed with this!

He is also the second in command of the coaching staff.

[arkay]

This is not a ODI where you can get away with part-time keeper. WK in tests would be more strenuous and requires a lot more concentration and technique. Dravid cannot fit the role. Granted - Karthik did not perform well in the last 2 tests. So if we are to replaced Kartik, he should be replaced by a regular wicket keeper who can perform better than him

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Pitch Report - P. Saravanamuttu Stadium More... Pitch Report - P. Saravanamuttu Stadium August 05 2008 Sangakkara - Looking To Come Good.Test Match Establishment: 1982 Capacity: 15 000 Floodlights: No Ends: Air Force Flats End, Press Block End Home Team: Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club Test History: 11 Tests; 4 home wins; 3 away wins; 4 draws Last 10 Tests: 5 home wins; 1 away wins; 4 draws Last 10 tosses: 8 batted first (6 wins, 2 draws); 2 bowled first (2 win) Overview Formerly known as the Colombo Oval, the Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium is a small ground that resembles more of a club location then an international stadium due to its small stand and vast grass banks. Once verbally lambasted for its poor facilities and lack of upkeep, the ground has undergone extreme renovations, with the media centre in particular getting a much needed make-over. The pitch often resembles an Australian or South Africa pitch rather then your typical sub-continent track in that it has far more bounce than many Sri Lankan pitches, and offers more assistance to pace bowlers. Placid at times and with short boundaries, it is potentially a batsmen's paradise. The stadium holds great historical cricketing significance for a number of reasons. The ground hosted Sri Lanka's first Test match in 1982 against England. It was host to the first Test in the series between Australia and Pakistan - the first to be held on neutral soil. And Bangladesh have the unfortunate 'honour' of scoring the ground's lowest ever Test score - 62 all out. Last Time Out The Tigers were bundled out for just 62 in their first innings, with Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan both claiming four wickets. Sri Lanka replied with a hefty 451 for six declared, Kumar Sangakkara top scoring with a double ton. Thus suggesting that it certainly wasn't the pitch responsible for the shambolic Bangladesh innings. The visiting batsmen put up more of a fight second time around, with captain Mohammad Ashraful finishing with a superb 129 not out. It was of course too little too late, with Sri Lanka winning by an innings an 90 runs. They Said... "By far this was one of the best Test matches I have been involved in. I've lost a few hairs on my head and a couple of nails. It was definitely not a boring Test match. It was brilliant one," said a relieved Mahela Jayawardene after his sides pulsating one-wicket win over South Africa in 2006. Here's hoping for a similar Test match this time round. "The wicket wasn't offering a lot and it was pure attrition. Teams would have had to take risks to push forward." - Stephen Fleming reveals the reasoning behind a watchful approach against Sri Lanka in 2003. Happy Hunting Ground Woefully out of form Sangakkara scored 200 against Bangladesh last time out, and will be hoping that he can perform a similar feat this week to atone for his poor run of form in the series thus far. Muralitharan has enjoyed considerable success on all grounds in Sri Lanka, and the Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium is no different. The masterful spinner has picked up 22 wickets in his last three Tests at the ground, including a memorable match haul of 12 wickets against the Proteas in 2006. Weather Forecast Showers are predicted for all five days of the Test, but as has been seen in the previous two matches of the series, the weatherman doesn't always get it right. Conclusion The likes of Chaminda Vaas and Ishant Sharma will be looking to get some assistance from the pitch, and for once their efforts may be rewarded handsomely. The spinners are always going to be crucial, and it will be interesting to see how they cope as big hitting is always on the cards with Sehwag and company gleefully eyeing the short boundaries. The series is perfectly poised for a humdinger of a final clash, and with something in the pitch for batsmen and bowlers alike, the encounter should be an absolute cracker.