Captains to marvel for Sri Lanka

Sa`adi Thawfeeq reporting from Kandy

15 February 1997


Four present and four past school cricket captains make up the Sri Lanka junior side for the first of three 4-day under 19 Tests against India starting at Asgiriya Stadium today.

Right-arm leg-spinner Nimesh Perera, who leads the Sri Lanka under 19 side in the series, captains St. Sebastian's, Moratuwa. Also in the same category are Kumar Sangakkara (Trinity, Kandy captain), Ruwan Galapaththi (Richmond, Galle captain) and Rangana Herath (Maliyadeva, Kurunegala captain).

Experience

The under-19 side can also fall back on the experience of four past school captains in Pradeep Hewage (St. Benedict's), Chintaka Jayasinghe (Dharmapala), and Hemantha Boteju and Chamara Liyanage (both Thurstan).

The fact that only two players (Jayasinghe and Herath) have been retained from the side that lost the 3-day tour 'opener' gives an indication that the Indians are not going to have it easy.

Indian under 19 coach Anushman Gaekwad has warned his side against complacency.

``We are expecting much tougher opposition in the Tests and I have told my boys not to relax now that they got off to an excellent start to the tour,'' said the former Indian Test opener and Test selector.

Gaekwad expressed surprise that his young charges had adapted very quickly to the hot Sri Lankan conditions. He said the innings victory in their only practice game of the tour, over a Sri Lanka Board President's Under 19 on Thursday, was a morale booster for the rest of the tour.

Gaekwad praised the centuries scored by Indian under 19 captain Jyoti Yadav and Ajith Agarkar, which enabled the team run up a formidable 524 for 7 declared. ``Getting a hundred is no joke in any class of cricket,'' he said.

Premier league

As much as the Indians boast of five Ranji trophy cricketers (Yadav, his deputy Shiv Sunder Das, Amith Pagnis, Ajit Agarkar and Balaji Rao) the Sri Lanka juniors have five players who have figured in the country's premier competition for the Sara trophy Nimesh Perera (Sebatianites), his deputy Hewage (NCC), Jayasinghe (BRC), Boteju (Bloomfield) and Herath (Kurunegala YCC).

With the pitch being bone dry due to the current drought experienced here, the final choice of whether to play a fast-medium bowler (Dilhara Fernando) or a spinner (Rangana Herath) will be taken on the morning of the Test.

SRI LANKA UNDER 19 (one to be eliminated) : Nimesh Perera (captain), Pradeep Hewage (vice-captain), Upekha Fernando, Rajith Basnayake, Chintaka Jayasinghe, Kumar Sangakkara, Ruwan Galappathi, Hemantha Boteju, Dilshan Vitharana, Chamra Liyanage, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando.

INDIA UNDER 19 (to be named).

UMPIRES : S. Amerasinghe and T.H. Wijewardena.


Source: The Daily News

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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 14:59