COLOMBO, Dec 8: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has urged his team to remember the lessons of England’s 2001 tour and make sure they do not squander their 1-0 lead after winning the first Test in Kandy by 88 runs.
Sri Lanka won the first Test of the 2001 series in Galle but then lost the next two matches in Kandy and Colombo to Nasser Hussain’s tenacious tourists.
“We cannot afford to relax against England this time and we must make sure we make full use of the advantage gained in Kandy,” Jayawardene said. “The defeat in that 2001 series still hurts and the memories of it will make sure we hit England hard in Colombo.”
Sri Lanka will be making one certain change from Kandy with opener Upul Tharanga replacing Sanath Jayasuriya, who retired after Sri Lanka’s win on Wednesday.
The selectors kept faith with Jehan Mubarak in the middle despite making a first innings duck and then just nine in the second innings.
“The middle-order batting is a bit of a concern but we have to be fair to the youngsters we have identified and give them a decent run,” Jayawardene stated.
Sri Lanka anticipate the same bowling attack on a Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) pitch that is traditionally helpful for pace bowlers on day one before becoming a batting paradise.
“The final bowling combination will depend on the pitch but knowing the SSC it will probably be three seamers and Murali,” Jayawardene added.
Meanwhile, England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard has been ruled out of the second Test.
Hoggard was plagued by a back injury in the first Test and his absence was confirmed by the England captain, Michael Vaughan.
However, neither he nor the coach, Peter Moores, could confirm the bowler’s replacement, though Steve Harmison and Stuart Broad are the two likely candidates.
“We haven’t seen the wicket yet,” Moores said. “We have the option of a second spinner in Graeme [Swann] or continuing with a three-man seam attack, but we’ll assess the conditions when we see the pitch.
“We’re 1-0 down in the series and have to win in Colombo to keep our hopes of a series win alive so we’ll be looking to select the best possible XI to help us do that.”
If Harmison is picked, it’ll be his first Test since he played against West Indies in June. Harmison spent a few weeks in South Africa prior to England’s tour of Sri Lanka, playing domestic cricket in a bid to return to full fitness.
“I’m confident both Harmison and Broad are ready. Harmison has worked hard in the nets, while Broad’s played cricket recently here in the one-dayers and, again, he looks in good form,” Moores expressed. “We’re quite happy with our options.”
On the other hand, the good news for England is that Kevin Pietersen is batting again without painkillers after fracturing a finger.
“Pietersen batted today (Saturday) without painkillers and fielding-wise he should hopefully be fine,” Moores added.
Teams (from):
ENGLAND: Michael Vaughan (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Matthew Hoggard, Phil Mustard, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Steve Harmison.
SRI LANKA: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Vandort, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Silva , Jehan Mubarak, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Malinga Bandara, Sujeewa de Silva, Muttiah Muralitharan.—Agencies