Boxing Day Test holds X’mas party promise: Who will spoil the icing on the cake
By Admin, Sporty
Updated: December 24, 2014
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By Michael Knight
New Zealand is all agog about prospects of the fast bowlers going to work on the Sri Lanka top order batting on the Boxing Day Test match December 26 starting at Christchurch.
Reason?
Like the song…’green, green grass of old..’.. the overboard going Kiwi tune doing the rounds is that the Hagley Oval wicket has put on some green grass – the likes of which were not seen on the turf thelast eight weeks.
This new development at Hagley’s Oval has had the New Zealnd batting coach Craig McMillan singing a loud tune of optimism that his bowlers could skew up the strong Sri Lankan batting front.
The Kiwi fire feeling is echoed by batting coach Craig McMillan in these words, “The fast bowlers have a little bit of a smile on their face, seeing a bit of green grass, which we haven’t really seen for the last eight weeks,” he says.
He hinted that despite the colour of the wicket, Otago off-spinner Mark Craig would play, saying the visitors had several left-handers, including run-scoring machine Kumar Sangakkara, and Hagley Oval was known to offer bounce.
But the Sri Lankans have their own plans. Skipper Angelo Mathews is of the strong belief that he has the type of gutso to deal with the Kiwi seamers. Adding fuel is fast bowling coach Chaminda Vaas who says that he has five quality fast men who can do the job for Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan retort to the Kiwi ‘green, green grass..’ threat is that they have the stuff to fight fire with fire.
“We share a lot among the group, and that’s when we develop together. What I try to tell the guys is to think about how you can be better than the other bowlers. That’s not to encourage jealousy or disunity – but to try and help us as a group to raise our standards. You have to be thinking that when someone else gets five wickets, you also want to get five. When you have that mentality and that competition, it’s easier to get wickets on any pitch.
“They all have a responsibility to look after themselves, in terms of diet and discipline, because the demands of the international game are high. Their fitness has to be at an optimum level all the time, and their mental approach has to be the same. That’s what they need to do to get the best out of themselves, and the rest is up to their ability and the conditions.”
Sri Lanka have been reliant on Rangana Herath’s left-arm spin since Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement, but have this year begun to bank on their quicks as well. Their three overseas Test wins in 2014 – in Dubai, Dhaka and Leeds, have all been largely forged by the quicks. With the exception of uncapped Chameera, each of the other fast bowlers have played key roles in Sri Lanka’s recent Test successes.
“In England we didn’t have Suranga, and now that he is back, it is a big strength,” Vaas said. “After Lasith Malinga, he is the guy who is in a similar place. His rhythm is excellent, and the other bowlers have something to learn from him.”
Control and modest movement have been the Sri Lanka quicks’ hallmarks this year, but Prasad’s inclusion for the Headingley Test injected some hit-the-deck intensity that paid dividends on the fourth afternoon when he claimed four top-order wickets in one spell to set up that victory. No fast bowler in the attack has yet played more than 21 Tests, but Sri Lanka pose a varied threat nonetheless, Vaas said.
“Suranga gets swing at pace and is a wicket-taking threat all the time. Eranga is very similar. None of these bowlers are very experienced, which is why it’s imperative that they improve every time they play. Dhammika Prasad has been in the team for a while, but he has only recently been able to play at a stretch because of his injuries. Thankfully he has been able to get his body 100%, and is at a very good fitness level.
“They all have minor differences, but in key criteria, they are the same: they all bowl 140, they can all do something with the ball, and they have good control. Dhammika is a little different, because he hits the deck and then gets movement, while Suranga and Eranga move it more in the air.”
Chameera, 22, took 3 for 13 in the warm-up match on a Queenstown greentop, but is unlikely to be in the XI on Boxing Day. Described by some coaches as the quickest young bowler in Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit, Vaas believed him to be an outstanding prospect.
“He’s very talented and quite raw. Even though he doesn’t have much experience, he bowled very well in the last match. In a year, I trust he will be able to hit that 150kph mark. He just needs to take good care of his body, his rest, his diet and his mental approach.” The type of optimism the two opposite camps carry has the promise of a post-Christmas party. Who is going to spoil the icing on the cake?
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my3 ugayak awath ubala maragani 
