Sri Lanka wait on Malinga

Paceman is still unfit and is crucial for the hosts as the bowling department is lacklustre for both sides for the final Test starting today.

Sri Lanka's bowling arsenal looks mediocre in the likely absence of Lasith Malinga.

COLOMBO // Sri Lanka are sweating on the fitness of Lasith Malinga as the fast bowler battles to recover from injury and illness ahead of the third and final Test against India starting today. Malinga took seven wickets in Sri Lanka's first Test victory in the three-match series at Galle, but was rested from the high-scoring second Test which ended in a draw on Friday with a sore knee.

Malinga, who also suffered a bout of fever, turned up at practice on Sunday under the watchful eye of selectors. "He didn't bowl with his full run-up and bowled at half pace," Aravinda de Silva, the Sri Lanka chairman of selectors, said. "In the event Malinga doesn't pull through we'll have to decide who will spearhead the bowling attack from the remaining fast bowlers in the squad." Dammika Prasad, who suffered from breathing problems and only bowled in short spells in the second Test is unlikely to come into consideration, while Dilhara Fernando showed little to impress the selectors with his pace.

That leaves Sri Lanka with either Chanaka Welagedara, the left-armer, or the uncapped 23-year-old Nuwan Pradeep. Welagedara dismissed Virender Sehwag, the India opener, twice but was left out of the second Test to sort out his rhythm with coaching staff. Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv, the off-spinners, took six wickets between them at Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) and are likely to retain their places ahead of Rangana Herath, the left-armer.

Meanwhile, any hopes that Sri Lanka might dislodge India as the top Test nation with a 2-0 series win were dashed by revised International Cricket Council Test rankings. India were also relieved on Sunday to see Sachin Tendulkar at training after a decision to rest him for the upcoming tri-series raised doubts about his fitness for the final Test. Tendulkar scored 203 but missed the final day's play of the second Test with a groin strain. Tendulkar's pick would see him move past Steve Waugh's 168 matches to become the most capped Test player in the world.

But Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag's regular opening partner, who was left out of the SSC Test due to swelling in his knee, would not be playing in the last match either. Murali Vijay, who replaced him at the top of the order at SSC and scored a half-century, will likely keep his place. But the availability of Yuvraj Singh, who missed the second Test due to a fever, has given India a selection headache after Suresh Raina, his replacement in the middle-order, struck a century on his Test debut.

A major concern for MS Dhoni, the India captain, should be his bowling attack, however, which has failed to bowl a single side out this tour. Although Ishant Sharma, the fast bowler, and Abhimanyu Mithun, the newcomer, captured nine of the 15 Sri Lanka wickets to fall in the series, the inexperienced attack has missed injured fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, conceding totals of 514 for nine, 520 for eight and 642 for four in batsmen-friendly conditions.

But Dhoni said: "If it's always about bowlers turning up and taking 20-odd wickets on wickets that are in favour of the batsmen, it's not really possible." * Reuters