It is absolutely chock-full of runs once the greenness fades, but no it's Uni Oval that gets called disappointingly flat and slow for a Test venue down here, never really the Basin.
Yeah it's fun - unlikely to ever land the ball consistently, but it's one of those things that will completely flummox some percentage of opposition batsmen and tail-enders, to much amusement.
Hey, that half-tracker is always one of a wrist-spinner's best wicket-takers!
Doubt SL will go with 2 spinners. But I'm certain Dilruwan will play.
Hasn't Mathew's been pretty ordinary since the holy trinity of Sanga, Mahela and Samareweera headed off into retirement? Chandimal strikes me as the major threat in this batting lineup.
Well he's been dropped from the ODI team due to "poor running between the wickets"
Chameera today is not the 145k speed merchant of last tour. He is more or less fast medium these days. He lacks the pace of Lahiru Kumara, swing and accuracy of Lakmal, and seam movement of Rajitha. For Sl Nuwan Pradeep was the best test bowler, but he has fallen off due to injuries. Expect Lakmal, Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara to play the tests.
Injuries seem to have really hit Lankan pace bowling stocks in recent years, it's like NZ in the early to late 2000's. Whatever happened to Dhammika Prasad and Shaminda Eranga, both were pretty decent from what I remember? Haven't watched a whole lot of Kumara and Rajitha but they seem to have done really well in the Carribean, could be quite penetrative then in NZ.
Almost tempted to give Taylor a rest (which is ridiculous anyway as NZ play so little test cricket) and play Young at 4 sometime this summer, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at home is an easier introduction to tests than Australia away, or England and India in 2019-20. Still, can recall NZ's top order tripping over themselves at least a couple of times during the last SL/Bangladesh visits, Taylor's experience and tendency to dominate at home could be important.
Dhammika Prasad is hampered by injuries. Played a bit of domestic cricket for SSC his domestic club. Plus he missed last week matches due to Level 3 Coaching camp.
I think he has got RVOT ventricular tachycardia, a heart arrythmia during the UK tour. Questions on action and possible intractability of the medical condition may have resulted in the disappearance.
That's a shame about Chameera/Charmander - hope he gets back to full fitness to realise his potential. Haven't seen Rajitha at all.
That is a distinct possibility.
Lol you sparked
Is this a meme I'm unaware of
Ross wants to play to 100 tests, so I'd be loathe to take one off him.