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Injuries and rain affect Sri Lanka’s efforts to square series
Sri Lanka’s efforts to square the three-match Test series against England won’t be helped by the fact that their captain Tillakaratne Dilshan won’t take the field due to a fractured right thumb, here at Rose Bowl as the tourists take on England in the third and final Test Match between the countries starting today.
Dilshan is the in-form Sri Lankan batsman having posted a career best 193 at Lord’s during the last Test. He also hit two centuries at the start of the tour during warm-up games against Middlesex and England Lions. The weather forecast too doesn’t look good at all for the five days of the Test Match providing a further blow to the visitors’ chances of squaring the series 1-1.
Sri Lanka lost the first Test in Cardiff by an innings and 14 runs where they collapsed for 82 runs in the second innings inside 25 overs before drawing the second Test at Lord’s.
Former captain Kumar Sangakkara will lead the side in the absence of Dilshan while 21-year-old Lahiru Thirmanne, a left-handed opener, will make his debut becoming the 116th Sri Lankan to play Test cricket. Sri Lanka are also expected to leave out all-rounder Farveez Maharoof for the game with either all-rounder Thisara Perera or off-spinner Suraj Randiv tipped to take his place.
For England, meanwhile, James Anderson returns to the side after missing the second Test due to injury. Stuart Broad is expected to be left out.
"Losing Dilshan is a significant loss really in both capacities," Sangakkara told journalists when asked about the absence of Dilshan for the Test. "As captain and as an opening batsman, he has been one batsman who has stood out for all of us in the last couple of games. It would have been great for him to finish off the series on a high. Unfortunately he’s not available and we need to work hard to fill that void," Sangakkara added.
There was some doubt about who will lead Sri Lanka in the absence of Dilshan after Sangakkara declined to lead the side when he was asked on the first instance. The selectors also asked Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene to captain the side without any positive response and ultimately went back to Sangakkara.
"When I was first approached to captain I was not ready to take it over because the fact is that I had given it up after leading the side for two years. Unfortunately, there was no vice-captain appointed for this series and the side was left in a bit of a problem where there’s no one to captain. After deep thought and considering the needs of the side and of Sri Lanka I decided to say yes to captain the team again for the final time in this Test," Sangakkara explained.
One place where Sangakkara has failed to dominate in Test cricket is England and his struggles in English conditions have continued in this series as well with scores of 11, 14, 26 and 12. He is still to score a Test hundred in England after playing eight matches. "I failed in four consecutive innings in this series after about six years, so it’s something you have to take in your stride and accept at times. That happens to anyone and that’s not been any worry for me at all."
Sri Lanka can gain inspiration from their last Test tour to England where they were one down leading up to the last Test at Trent Bridge and went onto win the game to square the series. "We have an opportunity to tie the Test series. Whether you lose 1-0 or 2-0 you have still lost the series. But if you fight and really perform as well as we know, we can then have an opportunity to tie the series. Basically we need to show no fear and be positive as much as we can. But at the same time we need to executive all what we have spoken about properly on the field," Sangakkara went onto say.
Today will be an historic day for Hampshire as well as Rose Bowl will become England’s tenth Test Venue.
Sri Lanka: (From) Tharanga Paranavithana, Lahiru Thirmanne, Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene (Wicketkeeper), Thisara Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka Welagedara, Dilhara Fernando and Suraj Randiv.
England: (From) Andrew Strauss (Captain), Alastiar Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Mat Prior (Wicketkeeper), Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steve Finn and Stuart Broad.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and Rod Tucker (Aus)
Third Umpire: Billy Doctrove (WI)
Match Referee: Allan Hurst (Aus)
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