Lankans seek divine intervention

Kandy, June 27: Sri Lanka go into the third and final Test against Pakistan on Wednesday with rain looking like their best bet of avoiding...

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Kandy, June 27: Sri Lanka go into the third and final Test against Pakistan on Wednesday with rain looking like their best bet of avoiding a 3-0 whitewash.

Since then, Dharmasena has undergone changes to his bowling action and two weeks ago the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka gave him the green light for selection. He replaces left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

Left-arm fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa returns to the side at the expense of Ravindra Pushpakumara. Zoysa, who has a history of back injuries, was rested from the second Test.

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Sri Lanka may also blood a wicket-keeper batsman, either Kumar Sangakkara or Prasanna Jayawardene in place of the out-of-form Romesh Kaluwitharana.

The venue itself does not give the home country any encouragement. It was here that six years ago, Sri Lanka were shot out for their lowest-ever Test score — 71.

To make matters worse, the two bowlers responsible for the catastrophe were Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, still the spearheads of the Pakistan bowling attack. The lethal pair have made life almost as difficult for the Sri Lankan batsmen in the present series.

Akram has nine wickets and Waqar 11. They are supported by Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood with four wickets apiece, and off-spinner Arshad Khan with nine.

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With his bowlers on form, Pakistan captain Moin Khan has not had too much to worry about. “It is always easy for any captain when he has Akram in the side and young players like Azhar Mahmood and Razzaq,” said Moin under whose leadership Pakistan has won their first Test series.

Moin took over the captaincy at a time when Pakistan cricket was going through a lean period, partly due to internal politics. But within three months, he has turned the team into world beaters.

They narrowly lost the Test series in the Caribbean 1-0 and have won three One-day tournaments in a row at Sharjah, in the Caribbean and at Dhaka.

Moin said they were going for a clean sweep of the series to erase the memory of the 2-1 defeat they suffered to Sri Lanka at home in March.