Sri Lanka will meet England in their third game at the MCG tomorrow and it is hoped that the Lankans will get into the groove and win this game which win will be important if they hope to figure in the best of three finals of the Carlton and United series.
From the time the Lankans arrived here, the media had been a major irritating factor digging up the once-and-for-all buried Muralitharan calling allegation and not allowing the players to concentrate and play the game.
Now that Muralitharan has been cleared once again by the ICC who acted swiftly by making it known that public comment about any player's action by an umpire or a referee is not consistent with the confidential nature of the ICC panel process, no public comment will be made on this matter during or after the tour.
The Sri Lankans must certainly be wondering as to what has gone wrong with their game. In the first game against England, they went down in the last over and then against Australia where they made a huge 259, succumbed and gifted the game to the homesters with some sloppy fielding and mediocre bowling.
The Sri Lankans convincingly beat a Country XI at Bargoo, and it is hoped that they will take this winning form into this vital game against England.
In the first game against England in Brisbane, while the batting flopped, the bowling and fielding came good. In Sydney against Australia the batting shone while the fielding and bowling fell to pieces.
The Lankans were hard at practice and after the session, coach Roy Dias and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, said that they had tightened up the weak points and that they would come out firing all cylinders at the Englishmen.
The batsmen must carry the good batting form. A sound start from Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharane is a must if a big total is to be posted. Marvan Atapattu has not been contributing enough. Hashan Tillekeratne has been the most consistent batsman and seems to be settling into the number four slot left vacant due to injury to Aravinda de Silva. A bit more aggression from him is required.
Arjuna Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama and Upul Chandana must make it their business to make big scores. The Lankan batsmen when they seem set for big scores suddenly lose concentration and sacrifice their wickets. When they get a fifty, they must take guard again and blaze away to a century.
The bowlers must bowl line and length and to one side of the wicket. Chaminda Vaas and Pramodaya Wickremasinghe must not look for pace but try to contain the batsmen by pitching right. The fielders must throw themselves at half chances and stall every possible run.
England are on a high with a grand win over Australia on Sunday. Graeme Hick and Nasser Hussain made big scores with Hick smacking a century. Hick has always been scoring heavily against Sri Lankan and he must be got rid of early. Neil Fairbrother is another England batsman in form.
Darren Gough is the most dangerous and penetrative England bowler. He must be negotiated with caution. For support Gough will have Allan Mullaly and Adam Hollioake. The spin is in the hands of Robert Croft and Ashley Giles.