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| November 21, 2001 | Wednesday | Ramazan 5, 1422 |
Windies opt for pace in second Test
KANDY (Sri Lanka), Nov 20: West Indies have switched their strategy for the second Test against Sri Lanka after conceding they blundered in the series opener by trying to play the hosts at their own game.
West Indies captain Carl Hooper said he would opt for an extra pace bowler rather than play two spinners in an attempt to keep the three-Test series alive.
Hooper, reflecting on his team’s 10-wicket defeat in Galle, said: “I think, more or less, we played straight into their hands.”
West Indies went into the first Test with spinners Dinanath Ramnarine and Neil McGarrell but they failed to match Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
While Muralitharan returned match figures of 11 for 169, the West Indian pair picked up just three wickets for 253 runs.
The second Test starts at the Asgiriya international stadium Wednesday, with the pitch likely to favour seam and pace bowling.
Hooper added: “Results of the past test matches played here suggest that the quicks (fast bowlers) have come into their own.
“I think we will stick with three quicks for this Test, as well as the next.”
With Reon King ruled out with a hernia, West Indies will choose between left-armer Pedro Collins and Marlon Black to support Mervyn Dillon and Colin Stuart.
Hooper, though, was also concerned about his team’s batting.
Apart from Brian Lara who top-scored in both innings with 178 and 40, the rest of the team failed to build big scores.
“I don’t think fifties and sixties will do here. I think the batsmen will have to go and make a big score,” Hooper added.
“We want to have at least one batsman in every game scoring a big hundred... We made 448 in the first innings in Galle and lost comfortably on the fifth day. We’ve got to bat better, certainly the lower half of the order.
“Responsibility should be put on other players (rather than just Lara). It is important to play as a team.”
Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya said his team’s poor record at Kandy — they have lost their last three Tests there against South Africa, England and India — were irrelevant.
“The players are confident and we have to do something different this time,” said Jayasuriya.
“Batting in both innings has let us down in Kandy, leading to those defeats. We had a lot of discussions with the boys over this and a lot of responsibility rests on the batsmen.
“West Indies will be looking to come back (at us) here. We must tighten our grip in the series.”
Sri Lanka are likely to make one change, with left-arm fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa replacing newcomer Charitha Buddhika.
The third and final Test in the series takes place in Colombo between Nov 29 and Dec 3.
Teams (from):
Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillekeratne, Tilan Samaraweera, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Niroshan Bandaratilleke, Nuwan Zoysa, Charitha Buddhika, Upul Chandana, Suresh Perera, Michael Vandort.
West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Pedro Collins, Marlon Black, Neil McGarrell.
Umpires: Gamini Silva (Sri Lanka) and John Hampshire (England).
Match referee: Raman Subba Row (England).—Reuters
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