Pitching it up:Muttiah Muralitharan International Stadium (Pallekele)

by Balanced Sports' columnist Ben Roberts

Can you imagine the heart ache as the relevant cricketing administrators sat down and tried to decide what they would name the new cricket stadium in Kandy? Potentially to name it after the bowler who by far and away leads the cricketing world in bowling statistics was the easiest decision anyone has ever made!

The stadium at Pallekele is only two years old and has only held one test thus far in its history. Its building was as a replacement for the formerly used Asigiriya Stadium in Kandy, and was in time for use at the 2011 World Cup. It was welcomed into the fold of this tournament by Ross Taylor of New Zealand, who in the stadiums first match of the tournament stroked a brilliant 131 not out off 124 balls, with 55 runs from his final 13 balls faced. Taylor earned for his efforts from the New Zealand commentary team the nickname 'The Pallekele Plunderer' (just a great name when said with a kiwi accent!).

courtesy: imagegossips.com

The only test match to have been hosted at the stadium was ruined by rain, with only the West Indian opponents of Sri Lanka able to bat. The cricketing world lost any ability to judge how the surface would play as the rain fell, but further that the West Indians, content to draw the series, elected to face over 100 overs in scoring 300 for 8. Kumar Sangakarra later described this as the worst test series he had been involved with.

We have little to go on therefore as we assess the relevant merits of the conditions in Kandy when Australia visits for the stadiums second test. The primarily limited over pedigree of the stadium points toward a flat wicket, with plenty of runs. In the test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies the spinners outperformed the paceman easily by bowling tight, and we can expect this to be the plan of both sides based on the first test at Galle.

The moist atmosphere of the oft rained on southern Sri Lankan city has proved a challenge for pitch preparation, and may give those quicker bowlers moving the ball in the air, just kissing the surface, some hope. Again it will be expected of the batsmen that they exert some self control and patience, batting first again will most likely be the way to go in setting the game up.

Pitching it up: Galle International Stadium

by Balanced Sports columnist Ben Roberts

The three Test series begins in the south west of the island nation on a strip of land heading south into the Indian Ocean. Such location is described as being immensely picturesque however it was also immensely vulnerable on Boxing Day 2004 when the Tsunami devastated the area. The ground undertook a large reconstruction thanks to the large international cricket community, fearful it would be lost forever.

courtesy: goldsilveralert.com

The ground was first built in 1876, however it was not until 1998 when it received its first Test match. In all 17 matches have been played on the ground, with nine wins for the Sri Lankans, coupled with three Losses and five draws. The pitch is typical sub-continent accepting spin and asking for patient batting against it. As you would expect Muttiah Muralidaran is the most successful bowler with 111 wickets on the ground in 15 matches, daylight is second.

Australia and Sri Lanka have clashed twice at Galle. A rain affected draw was the 1999 matches result, but there was time enough for Shane Warne and Murali to take three and five wickets respectively. For Australia both Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming bowled well, indicating that because of the breeze coming off the ocean on three sides of the ground as well as being closer to sea level patience and skill could be valuable for the quicker bowlers also.

In 2004 Australia won by 197 runs, but not before Murali had tied them in knots, taking 11 wickets. Australia fought back from a 161-run first innings deficit with patient centuries from Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, and Darren Lehmann (his first in Test cricket). So conservative were the usually swashbuckling Australians that these three recorded strike rates in these innings of 61, 34, and 60 runs per 100 balls, well down on what was usual. Warne took 5 wickets in each innings and Stuart MacGill 4 in the second as Sri Lanka was bowled out.

Given the nature of the current Australian side they are unlikely to go into the match with more than one spinner – a decision to be made between Nathan Lyon and Michael Beer. My favourite, Peter Siddle, will likely miss this one out as it is not a pitch that will respond to being attacked well short of a length as is his want. Bolter Trent Copeland of NSW appears likely to get a game after his five wickets in the lead up match and his more patient approach being more of a plus in teaming up with Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris.

Whatever the eventual line up will be for both sides (remember Sri Lanka are yet to find a suitable replacement for Murali) whoever wins the toss stands the greatest chance of success. Bat first, be patient, run up a total before being disciplined in the field against an opposition weary from their own fielding endeavours.