Sri Lanka skipper Dilshan will bat at no. 5:

Batsmen should call the tune

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

CRICKET: Sri Lanka skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan insisted to bat at number five instead of opening the innings which will relieve the pressure and add more cushion to the middle order during the upcoming Pakistan Test series to be staged in the desert capital in Abu Dhabi from October 18 to November 25.

Sri Lanka will play three Tests, five ODIs and T20 in their gruelling five week tour in the United Arab Emirates.

“I will definitely bat at number five, as I have made most of my runs in that position. There are a couple of world class batsmen early in the order, and once they give the side the early impetus, I could pick up the threads and launch from there. I feel more comfortable batting down rather than spending the whole day in the field and coming out to open after a ten minutes break”, said the Sri Lankan captain. Our preparations have been good and I am confident that we could beat Pakistan,” Dilshan added.

The pitches in the Middle East mostly are batsman-friendly, and the bowlers of either side will have a tough time in containing the batsmen. According to skipper Dilshan the void created by the retirement of spinner Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas who have bowled in tandem for 15 years cannot be filled in a short period of time and having patience is the key to overcome this

factor.

Referring to the inclusion of Dinesh Chandimal in the squad Dilshan said that the bit of flaw which Chandimal had in his batting has been rectified by the batting coach Marvan Atapattu and he is ready to perform well. Chandimal is a treasure and along with him the other youngsters too, should take their chance and prove their worth in the side.

Former captain Kumar Sangakkara said that playing the series in a neutral venue is good for the game to be popularised and at the same time both teams will have equal chances as the pitch preparation too will be neutral.

“Pakistan always had a good side, but their tendency to under perform at times could put a side into winning positions. However, if Sri Lanka is to win, they should play exceptionally well and play consistently well. We should not go back talking about ‘Murali’ and Vaas etc. Performing well with the available resources is the key to success. In a Test match, we should try to score a good first Innings total, may be over 400 runs to insert the pressure on the opponents”, said Sangakkara.

Sri Lankan paid dearly for not scoring enough runs in the first Innings against Australia in a home series which Australia won 1-0 a couple of months ago.

Since Muralithanran’s retirement, Sri Lanka has played 11 Test matches, lost two Tests, a Test each to England in England and Australia at home and not won a single. The Lankans last won in July 2010 when they beat India in Galle,which was apparently Muralitharan’s final Test appearance.

Matches on tour....: October 18-22 - 1st Test at Abu Dhabi; October 26-30 - 2nd Test at Dubai; November 3-7 3rd Test at Sharjah.

ODI Series: 1st ODI November 11 at Dubai; 2nd ODI - November 14 at Dubai; 3rd ODI - November 18 at Dubai; 4th ODI - November 20 at Sharjah; 5th ODI - November 23 at Abu Dhabi; November 25 - T20 at Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka squad: Tillekeratne Dilshan (Captain), Angelo Mathews (Vice captain), Tharanga Paranavithana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, Dinesh Chandimal, Suraj Randive, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Pradeep, Kosala Kulasekera, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedera, Dammika Prasad and Suranga Lakmal.