If Sri Lanka manage a series-equalling victory in the third and final Test against England at the Rose Bowl, it will be one of their most impressive wins of recent times. And it would certainly go a long way in helping interim coach Stuart Law, the former Australia batsman, get the job on a permanent basis. An attack missing retired greats Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, both now playing for English counties, as well as Lasith Malinga, has taken just 21 wickets in two Tests. Meanwhile Sri Lanka head into the series finale, which starts on Thursday, without captain and in-form opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had his thumb broken by England quick Chris Tremlett while making a superb 193 in the drawn second Test at Lord’s.
Sri Lanka then had to persuade Kumar Sangakkara, Dilshan’s immediate predecessor as skipper, to take up the reins again for what will be the first Test ever staged at the Rose Bowl, the home of southern county Hampshire. “When he undertook this tour Kumar wasn’t officially appointed as vice-captain,” explained Sri Lanka team manager Anura Tennakoon “But in case Dilshan had to come off the field, Kumar would stand in as the captain. “That didn’t mean he was going to captain a Test match from the start.
“Because of Dilshan’s injury and being unable to play in the third Test, a situation arose that Kumar had to captain from the start — which, I think, he wasn’t really mentally prepared to do. “But after some talking to him, that it was necessary for him to stand in, Kumar gave it some deep thought and tried to help the side by accepting that responsibility.” The uncapped Lahiru Thirimanne, who made a century in last week’s drawn warm-up match against Essex, is set to take Dilshan’s place in the team. There was a time, following its debut as a first-class ground in 2001, where teams would have fancied their chances of taking 20 wickets so bowler-friendly was the Rose Bowl.
But the pitch has become progressively better to bat on and, while a five-day match has never been staged there before, all the indications are it will not deteriorate greatly.
