FAISALABAD, Oct 19: As Pakistan and Sri Lanka prepared to start off with the serious business of Test cricket, there was more talk in rival camps of a man not on the field but resting at home miles away.

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, nursing a shoulder injury, was being missed by the tourists on the eve of the first Test starting at the Iqbal Stadium on Wednesday.

"It is a big loss for us not to have Muralitharan here," Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu said of the bowler who was the world record holder in Test cricket with 532 wickets only to be overtaken by Australia's Shane Warne last week.

"Sri Lanka have not played many Tests without Murali, neither we have had much success without him, but in the last match when he decided to undergo surgery, the boys pulled off a good win against South Africa and we will try and repeat that performance in Faisalabad," said Atapattu.

Home captain Inzamamul Haq felt that Murali's absence will make a difference. He is a great bowler and could have caused problems for us, he said of the spinner who has taken 49 wickets in seven Tests in Pakistan.

But Inzamam pointed to last week's result of the tri-series competition which Sri Lanka won without Murali. He wasn't there and we still lost, so we will have to work very hard in the Test series.

Sri Lanka have called up veteran wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana, fast bowler Lasith Malinga, batsmen Thilan Samaraweera, Jehan Mubarak and uncapped Ian Daniel for the Tests.

Out-of-form Tillekeratne Dilshan, paceman Nuwan Zoysa, batsmen Avishka Gunawardene, Saman Jayantha and leg spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi, were dropped following the tri series.

Pakistan on the other hand have named uncapped medium pacer Riaz Afridi and wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider on the squad but the two are unlikely to get Test caps on Wednesday. Asim Kamal and Imran Farhat have also been included along with specialist spinner Danish Kaneria.

Inzamam was particularly happy with Kaneria being in the squad. "He could make a difference for he has been bowling well. Although our bowling wasn't too good in the one-day series, the bowlers are capable of dismissing 20 batsmen in the Tests. Our pacemen too have done it before and I am confident they will do it again," he added.

Fortunately, there were no fitness worries for the home team, however Inzamam said that it would be a bit difficult for them to switch from the one-day mode to Test cricket. "We have been playing one-day matches for three or four months now, so at time it becomes hard to adjust quickly," he said.

Atapattu's side meanwhile are looking to continue the form that they displayed in the tri series final. "It was obviously a morale-booster for us and we intend to carry that into the Test series," claimed Atapattu.

However, he said that in Test cricket it all came down to discipline, be it bowling or batting. I think on these kind of wickets, 75 percent concentration should be on bowling discipline.

The wicket at the stadium has traditionally favoured the batsmen and the story due to unfold on Saturday promises to be an interesting one.

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