The Sri Lankan team will be faced with a tough cricketing encounter during their tour of India. First, the Indians will have the advantage of playing in their own country with familiar pitches and play grounds. They are also blessed with world class cricketers in both batting and bowling. At the moment, they are playing a one day series against the Australians, the best in the game, which would be invaluable practice before they meet the Sri Lankans. Finally, the spectator response will also be a huge advantage to the Indians. Therefore, the selection committee, manager, coach and skipper will have a heavy workload on their hands in selecting the best team for the tour.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara started his career with a bang, winning all test matches. This is a feather in his cap, a big milestone and a record for a cricket captain, but he has lost too many limited over matches since then. Was he over-confident or complacent? This was evident when he said "The sky is the limit", after defeating the South Africans in the Champion Trophy Competition. Some of his tactics, pitch assessment and selections at crucial moments did not work. He will no doubt learn from these lapses. He is a shrewd captain. His T.V. conversations are excellent, for he is a handsome youth. Best wishes and good luck to him and the Sri Lankan Team.

K. J. Silva
Matale