Fernando, Perera to fire pace at Pakistani batsmen

Final decision only after a look see:

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE Reporting

Sri Lanka is likely to go in with a new set of fast bowlers for the final Test against Pakistan beginning at the Pallekelle Stadium tomorrow.

The selectors are looking at giving Dilhara Fernando and Thissara Perera a go and leaving out Nuwan Kulesekera and Nuwan Pradeep.

Kulesekera and Padeep were given two games and while Kulesekera obliged in the Galle Test, Pradeep had been bowling with good pace, but has not been among the wickets.

Early pace

They could not make use of the early pace on the wicket when skipper Mahela Jayawardena won the toss and asked Pakistan in, in the hope that Kulesekera and Pradeep would oblige and justify his decision by giving him some early wickets.

Tall and strongly built Dilhara Fernando and Thissara Perera have been bowling good line and length disconcertingly in the nets and staked their claim under the watchful eyes of the team selectors.

Jayawardena whose brilliant captaincy has been built on the belief that attack is the best form of defense, need pace bowlers who can fire terrifying pace and bounce at batsmen and dismiss them.

Pace and bounce

Both, Fernando and Perera have the pace and bounce and the movement. Fernando is the faster of the two and could dismiss batsmen with sheer pace. His pace is frightening and in addition has a nasty bounce.

Of late Fernando has developed a slow bouncer and packs a well disguised slow ball that bemuses batsmen. His only problem is that he is open to injury. But with Jayawardena there to handle him judiciously, he should unleash terror on the Pakistani batsmen.

Perera who has impressed in the one day games, has been knocking on the doors of Test cricket for long and at the moment is exuding confidence and demanding for inclusion in the Test team. The success in the one day games are his credentials.

Come good

In the one-dayers the Pakistanis were struggling against him and although Test cricket is a different ball game, he has it him to adjust and come good in what the game is all about - Test cricket.

In addition his batting and fielding is first rate. He can blast any attack with his powerful hitting and has the ability to dive and save hits motoring to the boundary and pluck incredible catches from nowhere and inspire the team to brilliant fielding.

That’s the scenario at the time of writing. The final decision will be made by the think tanks and the team picking men after a look at the wicket and the conditions prevailing on the ground.