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The world bowling record holder bid farewell to Test cricket last week by leading the hosts to an emphatic win in the first match in Galle, claiming eight scalps to end his career with 800 wickets.
Sri Lanka suffered a further blow ahead of the second Test at the Sinhalese sports club (SSC) when sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who grabbed 5-50 in the second innings at Galle, was ruled out with a knee injury.
Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara was confident the absence of Muralitharan and Malinga, who claimed 15 of the 20 Indian wickets between them, will not hamper his team’s progress in the series.
“We have bowlers who are looking for a chance to make a mark for themselves,” said Sangakkara. “This is their opportunity to prove themselves.”
Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis will replace Muralitharan, while fast bowler Dilhara Fernando is expected to come in for Malinga.
Mendis, 25, is no stranger to the Indians, having grabbed 26 wickets in three Tests against them on his debut in 2008 to fashion Sri Lanka’s 2-1 series win at home.
Mendis, who has 44 wickets so far in 10 Tests, reminded the Indians of his prowess when he took 6-67 in a three-day practice match at the start of the current tour.
The absence of Muralitharan and Malinga will bring relief to the Indians, who folded up for 276 and 338 in good batting conditions at Galle to lose by 10 wickets and put their number one ranking at stake.
India cannot afford another slip-up because a 2-0 or 3-0 series scoreline in Sri Lanka’s favour will remove Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men from the perch and lift the hosts to the top spot.
India’s lone series win in Sri Lanka came way back in 1993, but coach Gary Kirsten was confident his team will bounce back in the remaining two Tests.
“The boys realise they did not play well in Galle and are determined to make amends,” Kirsten said. “This team knows how to win.”
India managed to take just eight Sri Lankan wickets in Galle as off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, the bowling spearhead in the absence of the injured Zaheer Khan, failed to strike in either innings.
Kirsten was, however, delighted at seamer Abhimanyu Mithun’s four-wicket haul on debut in Sri Lanka’s massive 520-8 declared.
“I think he bowled superbly and showed a lot of heart in the long innings,” the coach said. “That was one of the bright spots for us at Galle.”
India may field the same 11 at the SSC although leg-spinner Amit Mishra is waiting in the wings to replace left-armer Pragyan Ojha, who went wicketless in 28 overs that cost 115 runs.
Opener Virender Sehwag, who hit a robust 109 in the first innings and a double-century on the previous tour in 2008, is the lone Indian to reach three-figures in a Test in Sri Lanka since 1999.
But the tourists will be heartened by a fluent 84 from veteran Sachin Tendulkar and half-centuries from Yuvraj Singh and Venkatsai Laxman in the first Test.
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