GALLE (Sri Lanka), Nov 12: A personal duel pitting the magical Muttiah Muralitharan against Carl Hooper and Brian Lara is likely to provide the centrepiece of the first Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies starting Tuesday.
The trump cards, however — a low, slow pitch likely to turn from the first ball and Muralitharan’s love of Galle — are firmly in the spinner’s right hand.
Add to that West Indies’ lack of preparation in the run-up to the first match of the three-Test series, their shortage of top-class spinners as well as Sri Lanka’s exemplary record at the venue and it is hard not to forecast a home success within five days.
Sri Lanka have won four of their last six Tests at the venue, also drawing here with world champions Australia during that run, with Muralitharan and his wristy off-spin invariably making huge contributions. Surprisingly, this is only Sri Lanka’s fourth Test against West Indies they gained Test status in 1982.
Few of the West Indies’ inexperienced batsmen will have seen much of him before, putting a heavy onus on Hooper and Lara. The little left-hander is touring only after a last-minute decision to risk his long-term hamstring problems.
The rain has also played havoc with West Indian hopes, washing out two days out of three during the first warm-up match in Colombo as well as most of the second game in the southern town of Matara.
Hooper, however, with Lara the only survivor of West Indies’ last visit in 1993, is presenting a brave face.
“Given the events of weather in the last couple of days or so, we have prepared as best as possibly we could have,” the West Indies captain said.
“I don’t think we should worry about not having played in these conditions before. We’ve got to try and focus on doing the best...to have a positive result.”
There has been some cause for optimism, with Hooper and left-hander Chris Gayle hitting warm-up centuries while the squad’s most worrying injury concern over wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs (finger) was dismissed by coach Roger Harper.
“We are pretty pleased with what has transpired in the time we had in the middle,” said Harper, who added all the squad, including Wavell Hinds, who flew in late after surgery on a broken nose, were available for selection.
It is hard, however, to look beyond Muralitharan.
His last three performances at Galle in southern Sri Lanka have netted him an extraordinary 28 wickets as Sri Lanka beat England by an innings and 28 runs, South Africa by an innings and 15 and India by 10 wickets.
The South Africans in particular were humiliated in July last year as Muralitharan, now with 350 Test wickets, took six for 87 in the first innings and seven for 84 in the second, wheeling down 76 overs in the match.
Barring rain, the groundsman at Galle is among those predicting a result.
Hooper and Lara are the only tourists familiar with the wares of the remarkably consistent 29-year-old off-spin wizard.
“Test cricket is all about playing the likes of Muralitharan,” Hooper said of the man who has claimed 350 wickets in just 66 Tests, the quickest by any bowler in the world.
“We have played quality bowlers and I think we should not worry too much. It is a challenge for young players. It is good if they figure out how to play world-class spinners.”
With key paceman Dilhara Fernando ruled out of the match due to back injury, Sri Lanka have put faith in their slow bowlers, including left-armer Niroshan Bandaratillake and off-spinner Thilan Samaraweera. over the opposition in 16 years.
Teams (from):
Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Kumar Sangakkara, Hashan Tillekeratne, Michael Vandort, Thilan Samaraweera, Suresh Perera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Niroshan Bandaratillake, Ruchira Perera, Chaminda Vaas, Charitha Buddhika, Nuwan Zoysa.
West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Leon Garrick, Neil McGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Mervyn Dillon, Marlon Black, Reon King, Pedro Collins.—Reuters/AFP