Cricket: Black Caps warned not to focus on spin

GALLE - New Zealand's test cricket novices have been warned against being so preoccupied with Sri Lanka's spin wizardry they disregard a maturing new ball attack that initiated a historic test series victory over Pakistan last month.

New Zealand Cricket has gone to extraordinary lengths to nurse a talented though inexperienced batting unit of Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder through their first confrontation with Muttiah Muralitharan on the test wicket world record holder's domains here and in Colombo.

Ajantha Mendis, anointed to assume Muralitharan's mantle when he retires from tests in 2011, prompted more concern by taking three for nine in 18 generally unreadable balls during his debut against New Zealand at the ICC World Twenty20 in June.

Former Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and anonymous English teenager Maurice Holmes formed NZC's contingency plan and were flown to Colombo to mirror the deliveries of Sri Lanka's dynamic duo before today's first test at Galle International Stadium (4.30pm NZT).

Yet before New Zealand's strokemakers mentally hunker down against Muralitharan and Mendis - if the latter is reinstated ahead of left armer Ragana Herath - they must first negotiate the opening bowlers that sabotaged Pakistan with nagging accuracy rather than express pace.

Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara set the scene for a historic home series win by sharing the early wickets and key breakthroughs in what might be remembered as a career-defining experience for the pair that emerged from the slip stream of Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga.

Kulasekara has especially fond memories of Galle; last month he was armed with a the new ball for the first time in his nine test career and justified the reward by claiming a four-wicket bag on a seaming pitch spiced up by monsoonal rains.

The 27-year-old right armer ended the three-match series with 17 scalps at 15.05 - an anomaly considering his first six tests contained just five wickets and his average is still on the high side at 31.63.

Admittedly Kulasekara has often been condemned to a peripheral role behind a Malinga or Muralitharan, a scenario that unfolded during his solitary test against New Zealand at Napier in 2005.

Fellow first timer Malinga's unorthodox action got him nine wickets for the match. Kulasekara had one for 89 when the game ended in stalemate.

While Mendis is currently considered the future of Sri Lankan spin, Kulasekara and left armer Thushara can carve their own niche after 35-year-old Chaminda Vaas called time on a 111 test and 355 wicket career.

Presumably Malinga's absence is temporary and he will make a full recovery from a long-term knee injury that has confined him the to the less demanding limited overs workloads.

But the emergence of Kulasekara and Thushara has still been a pleasing development for captain Kumar Sangakkara, who is also optimistic about the pace bowling production line in a country renowned as a breeding ground for prodigious spinners.

"Against Pakistan our pace bowlers did a lot of the damage. They came through at crucial times and got us wickets," said Sangakkara, predicting today's pitch will also encourage his quicks after a weekend downpour stunted its preparation.

"Kulasekara and Thushara are really heartening for a team like us and in Sri Lanka at this time we have a lot more pace bowlers than spinners coming through from the A sides and the bowling academies.

"That's going to do us a lot of good when we go overseas."

Sangakkara, meanwhile, lauded New Zealand's brainstorming with Saqlain, describing it as reminiscent of the meticulous planning that was a hallmark of Stephen Fleming's captaincy.

"I know New Zealand takes a lot of pride in planning and getting everything right.

"An exchange of ideas (with Saqlain) can be beneficial though it doesn't matter if you can read Murali or Mendis. You still have to play the ball .... the advantage is always with the bowler."

Sangakkara was coy on whether Mendis, axed for the final Pakistan test after being limited to five wickets at more than 43.40, would be recalled on the strength of his Twenty20 torment of the Black Caps at Trent Bridge.

"Pakistan has handled him well over the last couple of years but that doesn't mean Mendis is bowling badly," Sangakkara said.

His counterpart Daniel Vettori was relatively relaxed at the prospect of a longer look at the offspinner.

"I suppose guys start to build confidence from other teams' performances," he said.

"The Pakistanis played him pretty comfortably so I suppose that takes a little bit of the anxiety away."

- NZPA