Since making his Test debut against India on this ground in July 1993, Kalpage's opportunities to play at this level had been greatly limited primarily due to the presence of Muralitharan.
In fact, Kalpage has in that period played in only eight Tests, the last of them being against Zimbabwe at Harare on October 1994 while Muralitharan has been an automatic choice as the no. 1 spinner.
MEDIOCRE RECORD
Muralitharan is presently the country's leading wicket-taker with 107 wickets from 28 Tests, while Kalpage, who played cricket with him at St. Anthony's College, Katugastota, has comparatively, a rather mediocre record - six wickets at an average of 67.50.
It is a well known fact that in the opportunities Kalpage got, he had been either greatly under bowled or brought into the attack when the batsmen were on top. One hopes it would not be the case this time.
Given the opportunity, Kalpage has proved he can bowl sides out single-handedly. He took a career best 12 wickets for 113 runs on this ground for Sri Lanka 'A' against West Indies 'A' in November last year.
Bowling in tandem with Kalpage will be left-arm leg-spinner Jayantha Silva who is playing on his home ground. In the last Test played at the SSC grounds in September 1996, Silva (with Muralitharan) bowled Sri Lanka to a ten-wicket win over Zimbabwe taking six wickets, which included a career-best 4 for 16 off 10 overs.
RESULT-ORIENTED
The SSC is generally a result-oriented pitch providing both bowlers and batsmen an equal share of success. Sri Lanka are going to this Test with a balanced attack comprising two fast-medium bowlers and two spinners.
Against a rather depleted Pakistan side without the fearsome fast bowling combination of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and on home conditions, it is Sri Lanka who must call the shots and attempt to force a win out of this Test. It would be a crying shame if they do not, although the absence of Muralitharan and to some extent, opener Roshan Mahanama, could prove a setback.
Pakistan are likely to blood young all-rounder Abdul Razzaq for this Test. Barely 20 years, the right-hand fast-medium bowler and right-hand batsman emerging from a small town near Lahore has had an outstanding series at under 19 level against West Indies, England and South Africa. These performances won him two one-day international caps for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in October last year until an ankle injury cut short his remarkable progress. He is tipped to play in today's game either at the expense of Shahid Nazir (if Pakistan think of going with two fast bowlers) or opening batsman Salim Elahi (if they intend playing three fast bowlers).
FINAL LOOK
Whatever they decide on will be in the morning of the Test after a final look at the pitch. In the absence of Wasim and Waqar, Pakistan's new ball attack lacked penetration and it was amply demonstrated by Sri Lanka's master batsman Aravinda de Silva, who relishing anything below exceptional pace hit a memorable 168 in the drawn first Test at the R. Premadasa Stadium last Wednesday.
The teams:
SRI LANKA (from): Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Russell Arnold, Marvan Atapattu, Aravinda de Silva, Hashan Tillekeratne, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Sajeeva de Silva, Ruwan Kalpage, Jayantha Silva, Kumara Dharmasena, Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Dulip Liyanage.
PAKISTAN (from): Rameez Raja (captain), Salim Elahi, Ijaz Ahmed, Salim Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Asif Mujtaba, Moin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Mohammad Zahid, Shahid Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Wasim.
UMPIRES: Peter Manuel (Sri Lanka) and Ian Robinson (Zimbabwe), third umpire : Ignatius Anandappa (Sri Lanka).