Sri Lanka will renew efforts to win its first-ever Test in India when the second match begins here Tuesday, after being frustrated by a flat wicket in the opening tie. The islanders, who have never won a Test on Indian soil in six previous series, gave themselves a fair chance of scripting history at Ahmedabad by stacking up a huge 760-7 declared in their first innings. But India wiped out a 334-run deficit on the first innings, thanks to a docile pitch and some resolute batting by their top-order batsmen. Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said he was disappointed by the Motera track. His Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni was equally critical. “The wicket was bad. It wasn't much help to the spinners. For the fast bowlers also the wicket got slower and slower,” said Dhoni. The focus in the second Test here might once again be on the wicket that is laid out at the Green Park stadium. The last Test played here between India and South Africa saw the home side wrap up an eight-wicket victory inside three days on a sub-standard track, prompting a warning from the International Cricket Council. The wicket has since been relaid but the local media said the authorities wanted the match to be played on a “tried and tested” pitch. “Our main concern is to have a full five-day game and we don't want to experiment on a relaid track. We want to play safe,” The Hindustan Times quoted a state cricket official as saying. The other worry for Sri Lanka apart from the wicket would be the fitness of paceman Dammika Prasad, who braved a hamstring injury to bowl four overs on the final day of the Ahmedabad match. Pakistan, New Zealand seek batting revival New Zealand and Pakistan were casting an anxious eye at their fragile batting lineups Monday ahead of the first cricket Test in Dunedin. The first of three Tests between New Zealand, the seventh ranked team in the world, and its sixth ranked rival starts Tuesday as both teams try to overcome leadership upheavals. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has also taken over the role of head coach following the sudden departure of Andy Moles last month amid player criticism. Vettori will also have to take a heavy bowling load with his team taking just four bowlers into the Test as they try to bolster their brittle batting lineup. “Four bowlers means an increased workload for me but I think that's a good thing,” Vettori said. “We have to be honest and acknowledge our batting hasn't been as good as we'd like.” Vettori said he had nothing but respect for Pakistan despite its recent woes, including the decision of captain Younus Khan to drop out of the tour. “They're a dangerous side, they've got a balanced bowling attack and one of the greatest batsmen of the modern generation in Mohammad Yousuf,” he said. Pakistan's ambitions rest heavily on stand-in captain Yousuf, who boasts a Test average of 54.86 from 82 Tests, and coach Intikhab Alam is looking for greater consistency. “We are an inexperienced side and we need to bat four or five sessions,” he said. “We have the kind of bowling attack that we can get 20 wickets and this is what you need.” Pakistan's bowling attack – including Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif – will be a handful for New Zealand's inexperienced batsmen.
