Interesting series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka taking shape

[abherath]

Sri Lanka just qualified for the best of three finals with Australia in the current VB series, completely outclassing South Africa in the last league match, which had become a virtual semi-final. This has effectively shut up Aussie critics who had said Sri Lanka would just make up numbers in this series.

Any team touring Australia lifts its game. Sri Lanka had a tough tour of Australia in 1995 when we were bruised, beaten, cheated but 'conditioned'. The end-result was our World Cup win in 1996. So Sri Lanka will come out of this series, very strong.

The rumoured resting of skipper Atapattu, Vass and Murali (the latter only in the ODIs) will NOT weaken Sri Lanka; a test team cannot give excuses for not having three regulars, if they are beaten. Several youngesters have emerged to challenge these three players, a case in point being Malinga Bandara outclassing Murali in recent times.

So it will be a strong Sri Lankan team touring Bangladesh.

Though I feel a 4-month break from international cricket in not ideal, it could also have given the Tigers time to regroup and re-strategise. I understand that the top players have not done very well in the national league but I am sure that they will come into the SL series refreshed and revitalised. It is good to hear that the Bangladeshis will be at full strength with the likes of Mashrafee Mortaza - nice sounding name that - fit and available. I hope that Aftab Ahmed too would make it to the squad.

The Bangladeshis will also have the home advantage - though the new venues will be almost as new to them as to the Sri Lankans - especially crowd support from the world's keenest, craziest and best fans.

So it all points to a good series.

Edited on, February 7, 2006, 7:20 AM GMT, by abherath.

[PoorFan]

The Bangladeshis will also have the home advantage - though the new venues will be almost as new to them as to the Sri Lankans - especially crowd support from the world's keenest, craziest and best fans.

Cant hope too much against Sri Lanka, one ODI win and no innings defeat in test, will be maximum I can hope. In ODI, Sri Lanka seems losing too many wickets cheaply in the end recent days, which brings me a little hope.

[Fortuner]

Abherath...

Even if SL had not defeat SA, I would still say "We wont b playing weaken Lankans" because even without Atapattu, Vass and Murali, Sri Lanka is stronger than us. Experience wise they are not bad but Confidence wise they are higher than us as they have reached the VB final and any team after touring AUS is very confident while playing any other team.

For instance : When BD toured AUS, they lifted their game up and thus after that when they played Pak in their home soil, BD was very good. Never ever they played so well b4 like that. BD almst won the test match in Multan but Inzamam shattered our hopes of wining it. We thus lost by 1 wkt after getting the hold of the match.

I feel BD will not play a weaken Lankan's, they would rather play stronger Lankan's. It will b a tough series for BD. We are yet to get a good opening batsmen with Shahriar Nafees in the ODI's to open the innings. Javed is not much benificial to us in the ODI's.

Infact Bangladesh will have to work very hard to win atleast 1 ODI. Bangladesh surely needs to win 1 ODI as that will help in boosting the confidence and it will b great to see us wining in the strting of this new year.

[Xavier]

If Atapattu will not be playing in the series I guess young Upul Tharanga (aged 21) could be brought in as an opener; he scored a century in the ODI series v Bangladesh past year and had his Test debut against India (not brilliant: scored 2 and 47 in 2nd test).

IMO Bangladesh could be highly satisfied with drawing a test and winning one ODI (after Pakistan and India... why not Sri Lanka?) :)

[rudro]

Originally posted by Xavier
IMO Bangladesh could be highly satisfied with drawing a test and winning one ODI (after Pakistan and India... why not Sri Lanka?) :)
IMO, too.