Sri Lanka banking on ‘wily old fox’ Herath for Test series, says Chandimal
The tri-series win has put the spring back in the steps of Chandimal's men ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
Published : Jan 31, 2018 00:54 IST
Sri Lanka will bank on the guile of record-breaking left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as it tries to extend its recent winning streak to the two-Test series against Bangladesh, captain Dinesh Chandimal said on Tuesday.
After a dismal last few months, Sri Lanka appeared to have turned the tide by winning the recent tri-nation tournament with an emphatic
The two teams drew their Test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka last year. The host won the first Test in Galle by a huge margin before Bangladesh levelled the series with a win in its 100th Test in Colombo. "This will be a great series for both teams," Chandimal told reporters, citing the experience of Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera.
Chandimal especially hailed the 39-year-old Herath, who is the most successful left-arm spinner in Test history with 406 wickets after passing Daniel Vettori's tally of 362 Test wickets last year. "He is a wily old fox. He can do what he wants to do. He is a big asset in our team," he said.
Spin-friendly pitch likely
Bangladesh was expected to offer Sri Lanka a turning wicket of the kind that helped it win one Test each against England and Australia in its last Test encounters at home. "I think it will have a bit of spin on this pitch. Our batsmen have to take the responsibility, as also our bowlers," said stand-in Bangladeshi captain Mahmudullah Riyad.
"We have to do the basics right, pick up wickets early if we bowl first or put together partnerships so that we can get a big score," he said.
Mahmudullah took over the captaincy of the Test team after newly-appointed captain Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the first Test with a finger injury. "It is a big loss," Mahmudullah said of Shakib, who is also the host's most experienced spinner. "But you have to go ahead accepting all the challenges. I think if we can execute our decisions positively, we will have a good game."
The second Test is in Dhaka, starting on February 8.