Sri Lanka and Pakistan play Test cricket

Now that the safari that was the ICC World Cup Twenty20 is over, the two protagonists Sri Lanka and Pakistan who battled it out at Lord's in London, would take the field in what cricket is all about - Test cricket.

It is now a belief that when there is a drought, the best way to solve it and get the rains to pour down is to invite a country to play cricket here.

And this belief rings true because with the Pakistanis here, the rains have come down, and reports have it that it has been raining in Galle.

It is hoped that the rains will keep away and allow five full days of cricket. If rain was to prove a spoiler, it would do no good to the game. A lot of money had been spent to rebuild the Stadium that was devastated by the tsunami and we hope that maximum play would take place.

The teams will discard their coloured pyjamas and don creams and play a different ball game and which will go one for five days and at the time this is being read the first day of the First of Three Tests between the two countries that began at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday would be over.

Sri Lanka after entering the Twenty20 final with an unbeaten record, lost the final, which would certainly have been galling to them. But they have only themselves to blame.

But now that was all a bad dream for the Lankans. And when the Test series begins they must endeavour to take advantage of playing at home and see that the Pakistanis do not fly back having also won the Test series. If the Pakistanis were to win it would be a great calamity for the game and the administration.

New skipper Kumar Sangakkara has been granted a squad, who if they play the way we know they can, they cannot be beaten. To think that it won"t be easy to switch from Twenty20 to Test cricket would take time, is nonsence.

Being professional cricketers they must be able to switch gears, and step on to the longer duration of the game with no fuss. 50-over and Twenty20 have no meaning. It is just slogging from the first ball, with technique and the niceities associated with Test cricket being sadly forgotten.

Akhtar out

Before going to comment on the First Test now in progress in Galle, it is sad that the "Rawalpindi Express" Sohaib Akhtar will be missing from the Pakistani squad. Akhtar had he been here would certainly have been a more than big draw.

Temperamental like all fast bowlers come, Akhtar would have added luster to the series and would have been the darling of the crowds here. Unfortunate to be struck by injuries in his chequered career, he has not got back into full fitness and had to be left out. His presence would have had crowds flocking and would certainly have added more fire to the Pakistani attack. He will be missed. The team drawing first blood in Galle would have the advantage for the rest of the series and will be a team hard to beat. The Galle wicket is good for batting first as it tends to help spinners as the game progresses.

The venue has been a happy ground for the Sri Lankans. Curator and former Sri Lanka cutter, Jayananda Warnaweera has proved himself as an excellent curator. He has treated the Galle Stadium and the wicket like his children and is sure to provide a wicket that would be a sporting one, even for both teams. Pity that he has not been allowed international exposure to learn more about the preparation of wickets.Chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket and former national leg spinning allrounder D. Somachandra de Silva must make it a point to see that Warnaweera is sent abroad to learn more about the intricacies of wicket making, so that he can be of great help with his expertise in the future.The Sri Lankans haven't won a Test match against Pakistan for a long time and it is hoped that luck that is important even in sport, would smile the Lankans way and that they would emerge victorious.

The teams are strong in all departments of the game and the team able to take advantage of the openings, dominate and land the knockout punch should draw first blood in this series that points to be one of the best contested in the country.Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's new skipper who failed to taste success in the Twenty20 in London, will be looking to avenge that defeat, although that was a different ball game. He showed good captaincy and will be looking forward to taking that rare ability into Test cricket.

He will be looking for runs from all frontliners and wickets from all bowlers. The team is a fine blend of youth and experience at his command and should, by leading by example, be able to get the best from all team members.It would also be interesting to watch how former captain Mahela Jayawardena would go now that he has relieved himself of the captaincy burden. He has loads of experience, a rare temperament and some eye-catching strokes. If he stays focused, there is no reason why he should not return to his big run-making ways.When Sri Lanka-Pakistan cricket ties are spoken about, one is reminded of the unofficial Test between the two countries played at the then Colombo Oval in the early sixties.

Resounding victory

Michael Tissera one of Sri Lanka's best captains led the locals while former Pakistan opening batsman Imtiaz Ahmed led the visitors. Sri Lanka who were then doing their best to catch the eyes of the lords at Lord in an endeavour to enter the portals of Test cricket, scored a resounding victory which did not go down well with Ahmed.

Instead of being a sport and, being determined in defeat, when questioned about the defeat, if I remember right, Ahmed had blasted the pitch, the umpiring and the weather for the defeat. His remarks apparently did not go down well with the authorities and Ahmed was taken to task and little was heard of him after that.

When talking about Pakistan cricket one also cannot forget the contributions of the three illustrious Mohammed brothers. Hanif, Mushtaq and Sadiq. All three were wonderful batsmen and rewrote record books with their excellent batting.

Hanif who was a great opening batsman of that era has a triple hundred to his name against the West Indies.

It is hoped that good and interesting cricket would be played in the three Test series and that no ugly incidents, on or off the field would materialize and that the better side would finally be victorious.

Sri Lanka Cricket has provided Presidential-style security, especially to the cricketers, but have struck one sad note and that is banning papara, papara bands from all venues.