Sri Lanka contemplate playing extra batsman

Sri Lanka's team management is mulling over the final makeup of their Test team, weighing up whether to play a seventh batsman or a third fast bowler, according to Duleep Mendis, the team's interim coach.

Mendis, speaking after Sri Lanka's drawn three-day warm up match against a West Indies Cricket Board Presidents XI, expects the pitch for the opening Test at St Lucia on Friday to suit West Indies' pace bowlers.

"We have kept our options open till we see the pitch," said Mendis. "We have to decide between playing an additional batsman or a fast bowler. Looking at the team that West Indies have picked for the first Test we'll probably get a wicket which will seam about a bit."

Sri Lanka used the practice match to assess their bowling options, resting Chaminda Vaas and Prabath Nissanka, who will share the new ball, and Muttiah Muralitharan, who will lead the spin attack. Dharshana Gamage, Thilan Thushara and Dinusha Fernando - all young uncapped fast bowlers - are competing for the third fast bowler's slot.

Thushara, a left-armer, is the frontrunner with his extra pace and nip, but Dinusha Fernando's ability to swing the ball means that he too is a serious contender.

But Mendis was not overly impressed by their performance as the WICB XI scored 296. " I expected us to get them out for a much smaller score," he said. "At one stage we were doing ok but they got too close to our total. I am not satisfied because they shouldn't have got anything more than 250."

Regardless of the conditions - unless, that is, the St Lucia pitch resembles a paddy field - Sri Lanka will play two spinners: Muralitharan and either Kaushal Lokuarachchi or Kumar Dharmasena.

Should they decide against playing a third fast bowler, they would then have the chance to bolster their batting. Considering that this has been the weakest department of their game in recent months, this is a likely strategy.

Romesh Kaluwitharana could then slip down to number seven to make way for Tillakaratne Dilshan or Thilan Samaraweera. Dilshan's case for inclusion is excellent after a gritty return to the one-day side that has eased doubts over his temperament.

But Samaraweera, an offspinning allrounder, has a fabulous Test record. Currently averaging 83 after 10 matches, having already scored two centuries, he has just recovered from a hand injury that kept him out of the last series against New Zealand.

Mendis, although pleased that Kumar Sangakkara (41), Marvan Atapattu (59) and Hashan Tillakaratne (40) all got useful practice in the first innings, would have preferred to have seen more of both Dilshan and Samaraweera.

"I would have been much happier if the others had also got some runs before the first Test," said Mendis. "But it was good that Sanath [Jayasuriya] got a good knock in the second innings."