Rain sides with Sri Lanka in even 3rd Test

For the first time this season, Zimbabwe were on level terms in a Test match. They had conceded a deficit of only 13 to Sri Lanka on first innings, and batting a second time, on a pitch giving much assistance to seam bowlers, they were 35 runs ahead after losing both openers. Bearing in mind that Sri Lanka would have to bat last on this pitch, the balance was pretty even, although the Zimbabweans themselves were confident that they had an advantage.

Then the rain came. It washed out virtually five sessions, and when play was finally possible on what was to be an uninterrupted fifth day, the balance had altered completely. It was now a situation where only Sri Lanka could win, barring exceptional happenings. Zimbabwe did not have time to build up a reasonable score in their second innings and then bowl Sri Lanka out, but they did have time to collapse and give Sri Lanka another victory on a pitch that was damp and giving a lot of movement to bowlers of all types.

That didn't happen, thanks once again largely to the resolution of Andy Flower, who finished the series with a batting average of 97. Once again he steered his team to safety; he batted for about 25 hours in the series and was keeping wicket and directing his team on the field for most of the rest of the time. But once again it seemed that luck had little good in store for the Zimbabwean team.

At least the umpiring played little part in the match this time. Umpire Venkataraghavan, going by television replays, appeared to give a batsman from each side out erroneously, while local umpire Ian Robinson appeared to have a very good match, turning down a few confident appeals for catches at the wicket which the replays showed flicked the pad or body, and the only questionable decision seemed to be a possible lbw against a Zimbabwean batsman given not out on the final day.

Again the Harare Sports Club pitch did not give the Zimbabweans the home advantage that they feel is their right, given their view that 'everyone else does it'. Things were not easy for ground curator Charles Wallace in unsettled weather with Harare Sports Club's fourth Test match in two months, and he has taken a lot of flak from angry Zimbabwean batsmen. Putting aside the business of 'home advantage', this was not a good pitch for batting; it gave too much help to bowlers of all types. The seamers found uneven bounce, especially on the last day, and a great deal of movement off the seam as well as in the air, while the spinners also got a lot of turn from one end where there was noticeably less grass than the other - as if Muralitharan needs any encouragement! For most of the time scoring rates were in the region of two an over, not great entertainment for the few hundred spectators who bothered to turn up in unreliable weather.

Zimbabwe made three changes to the team which lost the Second Test, with at least one real surprise. Out went Trevor Gripper, who has made few runs since his 60 against Australia, to be replaced by Craig Wishart, back from injury, giving Grant Flower his third opening partner in three Tests. Wishart looked nervous and twice failed to reach double figures on a pitch scarcely conducive to giving any batsman confidence.

Out also went Everton Matambanadzo and Gary Brent, both rather unluckily as they had bowled well. But convenor of selectors Andy Pycroft said that the changes had been made with a view to winning the match, picking more attacking bowlers rather than conventional seamers in the hope that they could dismiss Sri Lanka more quickly. Thanks to the rain, we shall never know if the gamble would ultimately have paid off, but certainly one of the replacements made a considerable impact.

Left-arm spinner Ray Price, nephew of golfer Nick, made his debut and bowled well without taking a wicket, although eight overs did not give him too much opportunity. He might have played a crucial part had the rain not come and Zimbabwe been able to aim at bowling out the Sri Lankans a second time.

The surprise choice, and the one definite success of the three, was veteran pace bowler Eddo Brandes, in his final season at the age of 36. He had the best match return on the Zimbabweans, with four cheap wickets, and it would have been five but for a dropped slip catch on the final evening. He bowled well, with pace and guile, in his last Test on home soil.

Sri Lanka had a change forced on them, with Nuwan Zoysa, hat-trick hero of the Second Test, being forced to return home with a groin injury and being replaced by Ravi Pushpakumara, returning to Test cricket after eighteen months on the ground where he took seven wickets the last time he played there. This gave the Sri Lankans the same basic four-man bowling attack that they had on their previous tour of Zimbabwe five years ago. He bowled well, too, but the bowler of the match and the series was Chaminda Vaas, who took seven good wickets with his pace and sharp movement off the pitch.

Neil Johnson, not always at his best on a moving pitch, held Zimbabwe's batting together in the first innings, but both he and Alistair Campbell were out lbw trying to hit across the line of the ball, a risky occupation at the best of times. Campbell in particular has done this too often before, and it shows how too much one-day cricket has eroded a once very sound technique. Now there is more to come for Zimbabwe, with a triangular tournament in South Africa before the team travels to the West Indies for the first time.

Johnson appeared to be unlucky with his decision at the hands (or finger) of umpire Venkat, but if so at least the luck appeared to be even this time as Atapattu, fending off a flier from Henry Olonga in the first over of the Sri Lankan innings, was given out caught at second slip without scoring, although the replay seemed to indicate that it may have hit his arm guard or even helmet. This gave the Zimbabwean pace bowlers a great psychological boost as they gave the Sri Lankan top order a hard time and took the first three wickets for 29 runs.

Tillakaratne Dilshan gallantly attempted to hit his team's way out of trouble, and for a time succeeded, with 37 off 42 balls, with the Zimbabweans, perhaps trying to buy his wicket, not blocking his favourite pull and cover drive as they had in the Second Test. De Saram also played a good innings, but once again it took one batsman to hold the entire Sri Lankan innings together, and this time it was opener Russell Arnold. Playing the sheet-anchor role to perfection, he helped to create history, as never before have two batsmen from the same side both carried their bats through an innings during the same Test series. It was only due to the poor form of Sanath Jayasuriya that he was opening the innings in any case, and would have achieved the rare distinction of being on the field throughout the match had his captain not decided to open again himself second time round, when the match was as good as dead.

Without Arnold Sri Lanka would have been considerably behind on first innings, and only managed to take a lead because three tail-enders, although playing aggressively at times, stayed long enough for him to reach three figures and overtake the Zimbabwean total. Then Vaas, bowling superbly, dismissed the two Zimbabwean openers before Goodwin and Johnson stood firm, and before the rain destroyed the balance of the match. Still, it had helped Zimbabwe to draw the First Test, although on that good Bulawayo batting pitch they might well have escaped without it.

When the two Zimbabwean batsmen resumed on the final day, their aim was entirely different: they could only bat now to save the game. Johnson did not last long, but Goodwin and then Campbell gave Andy Flower sufficient support to do just that. Campbell showed much determination and discipline but was again unable to break through to make a large score. He did not throw his wicket away, but struggled against Muralitharan especially because he failed to get fully forward as Flower did. Flower handled the renowned spinner superbly throughout the series, although helped at times by generous but safe use of the pads, and there was a feeling among the Sri Lankans that Muralitharan had lost some of his competitive spirit. This must be a risk for any experienced player given the amount of international cricket that is played worldwide now, and Muralitharan had no break after the World Cup like the others as he was revitalising Lancashire in the English county championship.