India seek to break long-standing jinx in Sri Lanka

T V Sriram
Galle (Sri Lanka), July 17 (PTI) India will seek to end a
17-year-long series drought in Sri Lanka when they go into the
three-match Test series against the island nation here
on Sunday with a depleted bowling attack and dodgy form of
some of their famed batsmen.
The last time India won a Test series in the island
nation was in 1993 under Mohammed Azharuddin with a 1-0
scoreline and their track record has not been too impressive.
But Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are determined to
change their fortune this time around and get the better of
the hosts in what will be spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan's
last Test appearance.
Handicapped by the absence of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan
and S Sreesanth, the Indian bowling attack clearly lacks the
bite as was evident in the three-day warm up game against the
Sri Lanka Board President's XI.
But it is the star-studded batting line up which will
have to deliver the goods if India, the top ranked Test team
in the world, hope to put it across the islanders who are
known to be tough competitors at home.
The formidable batting line-up, which includes stars
like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, will
be looking to spoil Murali's party in his swansong Test.
The Sri Lankan spin warrior will give it all to get those
eight wickets needed to complete his 800-wicket tally in
the longer version of the game.
India have vowed to spoil Murali's party but they are a
worried lot since their bowling struggled in the only warm up
game and the batsmen also failed to impress against the spin
of Ajantha Mendis.
However, there are some bright spots too as Yuvraj Singh
was back among runs and Gautam Gambhir too gave glimpses of
his touch.
Dravid and VVS Laxman have not played Tests for long
time but it would not be a problem for them to get back to
groove.
India would be relieved that their tormentor Ajantha
Mendis, who haunted even in the warm up game, will not be in
Lanka's playing XI. More PTI TVS
KAB


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