Get On It! Sri Lanka v India

Sri Lanka v India 2nd Test Preview
 
After the party, its time for Sri Lankan cricket to face the future and prove they are much more than a one-man band. When Muttiah Muralitharan was taking the first of those 800 wickets back in 1992, they were a second division cricketing nation. Nowadays, they’re respected enough to start as favourites for a series against the top-ranked nation.
 
I have little doubt they are up to the challenge. There’s certainly no shortage of firepower in the batting department, and while he may not be Murali, Ajantha Mendis has already shown himself to be a world-class performer in all formats of the game. For this second Test, however, they are further hampered by the loss of Lasith Malinga.
 
Lay the Draw 4pts @ 1.64 (Betfair)
 
The combination of two weakened bowling attacks, plus a weather forecast predicting scattered thunderstorms throughout, has forced the draw price into odds-on already. However, as we saw at Headingley last week, this assumption that bad weather inevitably means a draw is highly dubious. In reality, overcast conditions aid the bowlers, and with the Colombo pitch reported to be green and bouncy, the chances of a result look much likelier than the odds suggest. After all, only three of the last seventeen Tests on this ground have produced draws.
 
2pts Ajantha Mendis to be top Sri Lankan bowler @ 4.5 (Bluesq)
 
15 out of the 20 Indian wickets in Galle fell to either Murali or Malinga; a statistic that doesn’t read too well for the back-up bowlers. There will be immense pressure on Mendis in this game, leading the attack and inevitably facing comparisons with Murali, but he still looks a solid bet to top his side’s first innings haul. Mendis’ record of 44 wickets from 10 Tests is a class apart from his colleagues.
 
1pt Mahela Jayawardene to be top Sri Lankan batsman @ 4.5 (Bet365)
 
Jayawardene batted well enough in Galle with 48, even if outshone by a pair of centurions higher up the order. This return to his favourite ground, where he averages a superb 79.58, could see it his turn to claim the glory.
 
1pt Sachin Tendulkar to be top Indian batsman @ 4.5 (General)
 
Given that they had very few practice opportunities beforehand, it might pay to ignore India’s poor first innings batting display in Galle. By the second knock, Tendulkar had found his touch, top-scoring with 84. Sachin is the most important Indian wicket at any time; even more so when several of his colleagues’ form remains uncertain.