Worries for Sri Lanka
The Test series to be played between India and Sri Lanka assumes lot of significance and irrespective of the results, one thing is for sure Sri Lanka will be poorer by the end of this series.
With 38 year old Muralidharan calling it quits after the First Test Match, Sri Lanka bowling line up would be full of support bowlers. With Muralidharan around Sri Lankans had a double advantage because batsman always came with a negative frame of mind, and that perfectly suited Muralidharan and Sri Lanka as Muralidharan took heaps of wickets which resulted in huge wins for Sri Lankans. As of now Malinga is the only bowler who comes close to being called a strike bowler but it needs to be seen whether Malinga can handle the pressure of being the number one bowler in the team. Aussies too suffered a similar fate as the support bowlers performed exceedingly well when Shane Warne and Mc Grath were, but with the retirements of the duo of Warne and Mc Grath, bowlers like Johnson and company were unable to handle the pressure of spearheading the attack.
Sri Lankan problems do not end up with getting a suitable replacement for Muraldiharan. Their premier batsman Jaywardene, Samaraweera and Dilshan are already 33 years old and their skipper Sangakkara is 32 years old. If you are a batsman you need worry when you are 32 or 33, but one were to look at the situation 4 years latest, then the batting mainstays of Sri Lankans are 36 to 37 years old and that defiinitely is a cause for concern because among the youngsters none of them have come to the standards set by the likes of Jaywardene and Sangakkara.
Another cause for concern is their captain Sangakkara under whose captaincy Sri Lanka have been on a losing spree against formidable teams. It was Arjuna Ranatunga in the role of skipper who took Sri Lanka on top of the world and as long as Jaysurya was at the helm Sri Lankans remained firmly on the top. Attapattu and Jaywardene who succeeded the illustrious dueo of Rantunga and Jaysurya achieved good sucess which was finally undone by Sangakkara.
Sri Lankan selectors have a huge task in hand in finding replacments for their star players who in all probability should be calling it quits in the next 4 years.
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