In forthcoming series, the Sri Lankans need to take advantage of the start they get(both in batting & bowling).
In England, Sri Lanka had played 6 games & in those games (12 innings) their average opening stand has been brillia
nt @ 76.07 (3 double century stand, & 3 fifties). This allowed them to post huge score. Same was the case in last Test series against West Indies at home, where their batsmen performed brilliantly.
Meanwhile their bowlers did a honest job of picking the first wicket very early, considering that their bowling attack is fairly inexperience, with both Muralitharan & Malinga retiring from Test cricket.
However if they have to become a force in Test cricket, & win more games overseas, then they require genuine set of fast swing bowlers, & right now they have Suranga Lakmal who is excellent with the new ball, although his experience is limited to 5 Tests matches, & has picked 10 wickets, but, good part for the Lankans is, out those dismissals, six batsmen were(60 %) dismissed for less than 10 runs, which says a lot on how he is able to use the new ball against quality batsmen.
If Chanaka Welegedara can get his radar right which is not easy for a left-armer, then both he and Lakmal can trouble the best batting side in world cricket. Like Lakmal, Welegedara has played few Test matches, but good part for him is, that 47.36% of victims as bowled & LBW!!.
Sri Lanka bowlers fail to capitalise!.
Despite getting an excellent start by opening bowlers, host teams manage to post big scores against the islanders. Here is a GFX of how Lankans bowlers fail to capitalise the start they attained
Sri Lanka v West Indies (2010)
Before the tour of England, Sri Lanka hosted West Indies to play a 3-Test series last Dec. Although there was no result in any of those games, but the Lankan openers(batting pair, & opening pair of bowlers) did a commendable job
| Tests | Sri Lanka | Opening Pair | Wes Indies | Opening Pair |
| 1st Test | 378 all out | 6 | 580-9 | 110 |
| 2nd Inn | 241-4 | 102 | Did not bat | Did not bat |
| 2nd Test | 387-9dec | 10 | 243 all out | 7 |
| 2nd Inn | 57-1 | 55 | 12-2 | 9 |
| 3rd Test | Did not bat | Did not bat | 303-8 | 0 |
| 2nd Inn | Did not bat | Did not bat | Did not bat | Did not bat |
The Rose Bowl
Did openers lose opportunity at Southampton!.
Weather did play a big part in depriving both teams of a result. This venue has been helpful for seam and swing bowling, especially in the first session of a day. However after that it becomes easy for batsmen to score plenty of runs, & so far this is only the second time weather intervened at Rose Bowl.
Here is a GFX of 1st class games played this year at Rose Bowl.
A snap shot of teams scores & opening stand, both for Hampshire(home side) & visiting sides.
