Cricket Live

Neutral cricket fans love this scenario. Series level with one Test to play. Sri Lanka dominated the first Test then India prevailed in the much closer second. You can talk about one team having momentum and India certainly grabbed it back last week. It’s all to play for in Colombo.

It’s fair to say that both these sub-continent teams have a similar mix of several senior and very talented players with the remainder being either relatively new to the Test scene or simply solid but not brilliant performers. Ajanta Mendis and Ishant Sharma are exceptions being both new and successful. So will this Test see the end of any Test careers? Will a bad loss and poor form for one or more of the veterans in both teams make this their swan song? Such a question adds just another shot of spice to this intriguing match.

The captains are interesting. One vital aspect of captaincy is to keep your head highwhen all around others are losing theirs. When your side is under attack from a dominant batsman, the key for the fielding skipper is not to panic. Think logically. What can I do to change this situation? What is plan B or even plan C? Kumble is a calm man and Jayawardene too seems relaxed on the field. Certainly both are playing well. Winning the toss is important but calm leadership is vital. If nothing else, Kumble is arguably the most gracious of captains and some of his counterparts around the world could take a leaf from his sportsmanlike demeanor.

Another fascinating player is Mendis. Can his rich vein of form continue? Is he really as good as some say? One thing you can be sure of is that the Indians will have spent plenty of time in front of a video monitor and watched the action of the Sri Lankan spinner closely. Mendis may have slipped once under his opponents’ radar. Not any more.

Some commentators have said that Sri Lanka has erred in having two relatively inexperienced batsmen at the top of the order. If their batting order is unchanged, the openers must at the very least, occupy the crease for some time. You could argue that Sri Lanka lost the second test when their top order collapsed quickly at the start of their second innings.

Tendulkar and Vaas are two outstanding cricketers and it’s reasonable to argue that both have not been on top of their form in this series. Equally though, both can swing a match or at least make a major contribution. If the brilliant Indian batsman hits top form, India could post a winning score. The pitch and size of the game are tailor-made for the great man.

Likewise Vaas has a long and outstanding record of taking bags of wickets. If he can strike early, especially against Sehwag, the Sri Lankans will be in with enthusiasm and desire. They now know that their team consist of a pair of quality spinners and even they will be glad to see Vaas taking wickets early in each Indian innings.

The P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo is a small ground with a pitch full of runs. The ivy-clad scoreboard adds charm to the scene. Sixty years ago the great Sir Donald Bradman led his Australian team on this ground en route to an Ashes series in England. What new events will be written at this venue in the next week of what may well be an absorbing Test match?