Sri Lanka desperate for Muralitharan to play in first Test

The imposing figure of Muttiah Muralitharan has dominated the run-up to the opening Test between Sri Lanka and England starting on Thursday.

Off-spinner Muralitharan, while not 100 percent fit, appears likely to play following a groin strain and Sri Lanka are desperate for their potential match-winner to be in their side after tailoring the Galle pitch specifically for him.

England, whatever captain Nasser Hussain may say in public, would be equally delighted to see him back on the physiotherapy table.

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore said: "He has been bowling during the last couple of days, he should be fit...we are not expecting any problem."

Team physio Alex Kontouri was equally upbeat but concerned the injury could be aggravated during fielding.

Hussain responded by saying: "He is a phenomenal bowler. We want him to play -- and we want him to disappear around the park."

The last time Muralitharan played against England at The Oval in 1998 he took 16 wickets, including a second-innings haul of nine for 65 as Sri Lanka romped home by 10 wickets. He has 303 Test scalps in 59 matches.

The England players got another look at Muralitharan during his 1999 season with Lancashire and are clearly not complacent, devoting part of their recent practice sessions to watching videos of the off-spinner.

HEALING WOUNDS

The two sides have met six times in one-off matches but this is their first series, something the Sri Lankans have been seeking for several years.

The three-Test tour may help to heal some wounds which opened up in a one-day match in Adelaide two years ago.

When Muralitharan was called for throwing by Australian umpire Ross Emerson, Arjuna Ranatunga promptly led his team from the pitch in protest, irritating his opponents. Several flashpoints between players followed after the restart.

There have been echoes of that bad blood in the warm-up matches, with tit-for-tat complaints which have prompted Test referee Hanumant Singh of India to warn against excessive appealing or sledging.

The series looks well balanced. England have the confidence of successive series wins over Zimbabwe, West Indies and Pakistan while their hosts, despite a recent 2-0 defeat in a Test series in South Africa, have home advantage.

Sri Lanka have named a provisional 15-man squad including four other spinners -- off-spinners Kumara Dharmasena and Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, left-armer Dinuk Hettiarachchi and 18-year-old leg spinner Kaushalya Lokuarachchi.

Hettiarachchi, who took five wickets against England in one of the warm-up matches, and all-rounder Dharmasena are favourites to join Muralitharan in the team.

Veteran Aravinda de Silva, the country's highest scorer in both Tests and one-dayers, is also included but, after a string of failures during the one-day series against New Zealand, will be hard-pressed by Tillekeratne Dilshan, who has scored two centuries against the touring team.

England will check on the fitness of left-arm spinner Ashley Giles following his Achilles problem and are likely to choose between Graeme Hick and Michael Vaughan for their final batting spot.

Teams:

Sri Lanka (from): Sanath Jayasuriya (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda De Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Dilhara Fernando, Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Kaushalya Lokuarachchi.

England (from): Michael Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Nasser Hussain (captain), Graham Thorpe, Alec Stewart, Michael Vaughan, Graeme Hick, Craig White, Ashley Giles, Robert Croft, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Matthew Hoggard.

Mail Cricket Editor