The Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium (or the Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium if you prefer the long name) may be located in the sweetly named Sri Lankan city of Kandy, but whether it will be a sweet venue for Test cricket is yet to be seen.
The stadium is less than two years old and this week’s second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia is just the second ever at the venue.
The first, between Sri Lanka and the West Indies, had just 100 overs of play as Mother Nature decided she wanted the venue to resemble a water park rather than a cricket stadium.
That’s not all bad because I hear Sri Lankans like water parks.
However, they like cricket more. And they, like everyone, will be hoping the weather is a bit more conducive for cricket this time round.
For the One Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches held at the PICS (or MMICS if you prefer), the pitches have generally been good batting tracks, but still with enough in them to help the quicker bowlers.
This is where Mitchell Johnson took his 6 for 31 in the recent ODI series with the sub-continent pitch friendly to quick bowling and Johnson putting it together at the stadium.
Australia will be hoping for more of the same from the ground’s curator. Although how one of the ground’s pitches will stand up to five days of Test match cricket is not known, with the ICC declaring it a ‘poor’ pitch.
One thing that is known for sure is that Australia will be making at least one change to the side that won the first Test.
Ricky Ponting has returned home to be with his wife as she is due to give birth to their second child.
This has opened the door for Western Australian, Shaun Marsh to make his Test debut.
Up until this point in his career Marsh has been the bizarro image of his Dad, Geoff.
Geoff Marsh was a gritty right-handed opening batsman for Australia who got every ounce of talent out of the ability he had.
Shaun is a stylish left-handed batsman and as a youngster was anointed early as a potential Test player.
However, his first-class career stagnated due to an apparent lack of hunger for big scores and a laziness that, at times, makes it look like he is about as interested in batting as Allan Border was in having a polite conversation with the opposition.
Despite some solid ODI performances for Australia, Marsh has struggled in the longer form of the game.
In fact, due to a few incredible IPL seasons for Kings Punjab XI, Marsh is in the unusual position of averaging more in domestic Twenty20 cricket (42.78) than he does in first-class cricket (37.71).
Maybe he would be better off pretending each innings only last for 20 overs while aiming to hit DLF Maximums?
That said, Marsh has improved in the longer form of the game for Western Australia over the last couple of seasons and will be eager to prove any doubters wrong.
Other than Marsh, Australia isn’t expected to make any further changes.
In the first Test, all the batsmen did enough on a pitch that had more landmines in it than a backyard that is home to a dozen Doberman Pinschers.
It was thought that Usman Khawaja would most likely slot into the number three spot in the order in place of Ponting.
However, the latest news is that Shaun Marsh will have a baptism of fire in his first Test, as Khawaja did, and will be the first drop.
Bowling wise the only doubt would be Trent Copeland. Despite only claiming one wicket for the match in the first Test, the young New South Welshman performed serviceably enough to retain his place in the bowling attack.
If the selectors (whoever they exactly are in this post-Argus vortex we find ourselves in) place any credence on being consistent (which we know they don’t), then Copeland should play.
In the spin department, which I’m sure Shane Warne has always claimed is right next to the lingerie department, Australia’s new spin messiah Nathan Lyon will be looking to build on his impressive start in the baggy green.
After a classic off-spinner’s five-wicket haul in the first innings of the first Test, Lyon struggled a tad in the second. If Lyon can show the maturity and poise he did in the first innings in Galle, then he should hopefully firm up his place in the side.
For the hosts, things are looking less assured. If it wasn’t for the efforts of Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews during their second innings in Galle, the Sri Lankans would have been beaten by 300 runs.
In hindsight it is surprising that they were even within half a shout before Mathews, when on 95, was bowled while trying to hit Shane Watson into the Indian Ocean.
The achievements of Mathews and Jayawardene glossed over some real issues with their batting in the first Test.
The Sri Lankan batsmen were about as patient as Michael Slater batting with his underpants on fire, especially against Nathan Lyon, and more application from their them will be required in Kandy.
Bowling wise, there are calls to bring leg-break bowler Ajantha Mendis into the side.
Sri Lanka played two spinners in Galle and Mendis was a surprise omission. Though with the possibility of a bit more in it for the quicks, they could draft in an extra seamer and have Rangana Herath as the only frontline spinner.
The Australians will be hungry to capitalise on their mint form. The Sri Lankans will be doing everything in their power to ensure they don’t serve up licorice all-sorts again. It should be another engaging affair in Kandy.
Sri Lanka versus Australia
Second Test (three-Test Series)
Pallekele, Kandy. Sri Lanka
Australia lead the series 1-0
September 8-12 2011
Sri Lankan team (from): Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Shaminda Eranga, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Suraj Randiv, Suranga Lakmal, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Tharanga Paranavitana, Dhammika Prasad, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chanaka Welegedara.
Australian team (from): Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, David Warner, Shane Watson.
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