Cricket: Black Caps face daunting task against spin twins

GALLE - Saqlain Mushtaq has gone but ideally the Pakistani spinner's wisdom has not been forgotten as New Zealand's cricketers plan damage limitation against a Sri Lankan side accustomed to crushing their visiting test opponents.

The magnitude of New Zealand's task at a rebuilt post-tsunami Galle International Stadium starting tomorrow - and the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo next week - is apparent when surveying Sri Lanka's imposing record at home over the last eight years.

During that time Sri Lanka have hosted 17 test series, winning all but three.

Only Australia and Pakistan departed the island victorious, while New Zealand were party to the other blemish on that impressive sequence by drawing a tedious two-match series in 2003.

From New Zealand's perspective, captain Stephen Fleming's majestic career best, unbeaten 274 at P Saravanamuttu Stadium illuminated a drab match soured by his counterpart Hashan Tillakaratne's ultra-defensive mind set.

The quality of Fleming's innings still resonates with cricket purists here, that rare masterclass on how to blunt and frustrate Muttiah Muralitharan.

Six years on, the ability of New Zealand's inexperienced top and middle order to replicate Fleming's obdurate defence against the world's leading test wicket taker will influence whether Sri Lanka can be denied back-to-back victories.

Muralitharan missed last month's 2-0 defeat of Pakistan with a knee injury but his record indicates it will not take long for the holder of 770 test wickets to get moving towards the 800-barrier.

New Zealand Cricket has invested heavily in attempting to prevent Muralitharan remaining the slow bowling scourge of their elite team.

He has claimed 69 wickets at an average of 21.00 since the first of his 12 tests against New Zealand in 1992, and saved his best for last.

At the Basin Reserve in Wellington in 2006 a match analysis of 10 for 118 allowed Sri Lanka to square that two-test series after New Zealand had won comfortably in Christchurch.

In a bid to reduce Muralitharan to mere mortal status an English teenager with five second 11 games for Kent on his resume was flown to Colombo to roll over his imitation doosra at net practice.

However, it will be Saqlain's insights, and whether they have been absorbed, that hold the key to thwarting Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, should he be selected.

"Murali will be the biggest threat knowing he'll be looking to come around the wicket pretty much straight away to try and get me lbw," wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum said.

So New Zealand's vice-captain adjusted his stance and shortened his back lift following a `please explain' with Saqlain before the Pakistani returned to England.

"It was a way different take on the style of batting," McCullum said.

"When he's sitting there talking to you about how (former teammate) Inzaman-ul-Haq played Murali it's a lot different to the people we've normally been associated with."

Saqlain's simple message was focus on the bowler's hand at the point of delivery, don't wait to try and pick the variation once it pitches.

"He was using these black tennis balls, you couldn't see the seam or anything and he's standing there just flicking all these different things," McCullum said.

"If you train hard enough you can start to develop the ability to see it (the variations).

"I'm not saying we're going to go out there and smash them but we've got more tools than we had. All the guys are better players now than we were two weeks ago."

Naturally, New Zealand will also rely heavily on spin, particularly at the SSC, and barring a late change of heart Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel will bowl in tandem for the eighth time tomorrow.

"The way we bowl is going to dictate our fortunes in a lot of ways," Vettori said.

"I'm trying to stress to Jeetan to be patient with it. Sometimes the Sri Lankan wickets can help you out if you're consistent. That's what their bowlers do really well.

"They just hang in those areas and give themselves a chance."

While New Zealand's side appear set in stone, the Sri Lankans are pondering which spinner will partner Muralitharan - an out of sorts Mendis or left-arm journeyman Ragana Herath.

Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara are expected share the new ball, the role Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien should fulfil for New Zealand.

NZ v SRI LANKA

Overall record
Played 24, New Zealand won 9, Sri Lanka won 5, 10 draws

In Sri Lanka:
Played 11, New Zealand won 3, Sri Lanka won 3, 5 draws

First test: New Zealand won by an innings and 25 runs at Christchurch, March 1983
Latest test: Sri Lanka won by 217 runs at Wellington, December 2006

Last NZ victory in Sri Lanka: At Colombo, May 1998 by 167 runs.

Highest individual innings:
299 - Martin Crowe at Wellington, Jan 1991
267 - Aravinda de Silva at Wellington, Jan 1991

Best bowling figures:
Innings
7-130 Daniel Vettori at Wellington, Dec 2006
6-72 - Kumar Dharmasena at Galle, June 1998

Match
10-90 - Chaminda Vaas at Napier, March 1995
10-108 - Richard Hadlee at Colombo, March 1984

Squads

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin, Daryl Tuffey, Craig Cumming, Grant Elliott, Reece Young.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dammika Prasad, Prasanna Jayawardene, Rangana Herath.

- NZPA