Sri Lanka v West Indies Test series preview: Young Teams gear up for what should be a closely fought series

Sri Lanka v West Indies Test series preview: Young Teams gear up for what should be a closely fought series: Sri Lanka is all set to host the West Indies for a 2 match Test series. The first Test begins in Galle on October 14. The West Indies have played two Test matches at this picturesque ground in 2001 and 2010. The second match will be played in Colombo at the historic P Sara Oval; a venue where the visitors have never played a Test match before. Having never won a Test match, let alone a series in the island nation, the once mighty Windies will be looking to set the record straight. Their only successful tours were in 1993 and 2010 when they drew with the hosts, having lost the ones in 2001 and 2005.

The tour will provide an excellent opportunity for young players from both sides to make a mark in international cricket. Both teams have had their recent struggles in trying to find the right combination and desired results for the most challenging format of the game. The hosts lost a closely fought series recently against India while the Caribbean islanders, playing in their own backyard, were comprehensively beaten by the Aussies.

Sri Lanka:

The Sri Lankan side is going through a transitional phase with the likes of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara having retired from all forms of international cricket. It leaves their captain Angelo Matthews with a major task of motivating a side thin on the experience of playing Test cricket. Having lost the Test series against Pakistan and most recently against India by the same margin of 1-2, the Lankans will be looking to get their act together for this important series.

The bowling is spearheaded by the veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath; arguably one of the finest spinners to have ever played the game. Dilruwan Perera and Tharindu Kaushal provide the other spinning options for the hosts. The selection of Kaushal is an interesting one since he has been banned from bowling the ‘doosra’ in international cricket due to an illegal action. However, he can continue bowling the off break, his stock delivery, which has been found to be legal in tests conducted by the ICC. The temperamental fast bowler Dhammika Prasad has enough pace and accuracy to test the best in the business and will look to continue his fine rhythm from the previous series where he troubled most Indian batsmen; especially with the new ball with which at times he was unplayable. He will be accompanied by young seamers Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera.

While the bowling line up appears to be well balanced it is the batting which has been a major cause of concern for the hosts. The likes of Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Kaushal Silva need to step up and score consistently. Kusal Perera’s impressive Test debut must make him an obvious choice in the starting lineup.  Matthews and Dinesh Chandimal are two genuine match winners and will look to continue their fine form. Batting all-rounder Milinda Siriwardana and 20-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Mendis have been named in Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the first time and will be eagerly looking forward to it. On the basis of their record against the Windies, the hosts start as firm favorites however complacency is something they can ill afford.

West Indies:

There has been enough said and written about the state of affairs in West Indian cricket; on and off the field. Without dwelling much into the negatives, this tour should be looked upon as the ‘Dawn of a new Era’ in West Indian cricket. A young and ambitious captain may just be the right recipe for success. History has proved that a new perspective can do wonders in any sport. Cricket has witnessed two classic examples; Graeme Smith and MS Dhoni are two men who took up captaincy at a relatively young age and with plenty of issues to resolve for their respective teams. Now recognized as two of the most respected and successful captains in the history of the game, their example should provide enough inspiration for the young and talented Windies skipper Jason Holder. He has played under MS Dhoni for CSK in IPL and must have surely learned a thing or two about the art of man-management from captain cool.

Holder’s leadership qualities were put to test in the 2015 ODI World Cup and he showed maturity and enough promise to keep the hopes alive for West Indian cricket. The largely inexperienced squad will be spearheaded in the bowling department by the skipper himself and Jerome Taylor. The supporting cast includes Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Carlos Brathwaite. This fast bowling unit is more than capable of unsettling the hosts; the pitches at Galle and especially P Sara oval should encourage them to bowl at full throttle. Leg spinner Devendra Bishoo is set to lead the spin attack comprising of left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and off break bowler Rajendra Chandrika. Bishoo’s spells against Australia recently, where he troubled some of their best batsmen, would have given him tremendous confidence going into this series.

Marlon Samuels is the leader of the batting line up which includes the likes of Darren Bravo, Vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope and wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin. West Indies will be hoping to see the free-flowing flair of Samuels, Bravo and Blackwood can complement the solidity of Brathwaite and Ramdin. Youngsters Shai Hope and Shane Dowrich will be looking forward to make the most of the opportunities they get on this tour. Although it looks a promising line up on paper, Holder will know it is the only the on-field performance that matters at the end. This one feels is Windies’ best chance to get the right results with the hosts being without some of their most celebrated stalwarts.

Sri Lanka Test squad:

Angelo Mathews (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Tharindu Kaushal, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Dushmantha Chameera.

West Indies Test squad:

Jason Holder(captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-captain), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajindra Chandrika, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Denesh Ramdin , Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Jomel Warrican.

Stats to Ponder:

1. Rangana Herath has scored 980 runs and needs 20 more to reach the 1,000 runs and 200 wickets milestone; he will become the 34th cricketer to achieve this feat in Test cricket.

2. Denesh Ramdin is 3rd on the list of most dismissals (204) for a West Indian wicket-keeper; he needs 15 more dismissals to join Ridley Jacobs in the 2nd place; West Indian legend Jeffrey Dujon tops the list with 270 dismissals to his credit.

Schedule:

Oct 14-18: 1st Test, Galle

Oct 22-26: 2nd Test, Colombo (PSS)