‘Repair’ Jayasuriya goal for India tie

Dav Whatmore is not the sort of coach who dons a cape and false beard and develops a crystal ball gazing habits, so when he suggests that Sr...

Dav Whatmore is not the sort of coach who dons a cape and false beard and develops a crystal ball gazing habits, so when he suggests that Sri Lanka’s captain Sanath Jayasuriya will report fit for the Super Six World Cup game against India at the Wanderers on Monday, it is a theory which needs serious investigation.

Suggestions that Jayasuriya’s further involvement in Sri Lanka’s World Cup 2003 efforts are like a death notice and obituary, highly exaggerated. But that is the way of the rumour machine in this World Cup; they spread like flames through a Mumbai bazaar, out of control until nailed.

Whatmore’s thoughts were more his own than official, but the Sri Lanka coach knows a thing or two about what is going on in the camp. While the official line is that there is more concern about Jayasuriya’s forearm than the damaged thumb, the swelling had ‘‘gone down considerably overnight.’’ Jayasuriya was injured by a delivery from Brett Lee at SuperSport Park, in Centurion on Friday when the Australians overpowered the Sri Lankans on day one of the Super Six stage of the tournament. He had scored one when Lee’s dubious action was clocked at 155 kmph and was pinned by the blond bowler.

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The ‘‘fit for play’’ story is the sort of news that the Lankans would want to hear as they battle to keep their semi-final hopes alive. And, if Sri Lanka’s position were analysed, it would make sense for the skipper to front up to the Indian bowlers in a bid to win the game.

Significantly, people within the Sri Lankan camp, like tour manager Ajit Jayasekera, have said that nothing can be confirmed for a while longer. He will most likely not be ruled out of the entire Cup but, as Jayasekera says, ‘‘his forearm is badly bruised and x-rays revealed a slight fracture. We will have to wait and see what happens, but it is not as bad as we first thought.’’

But even if Jayasuriya is available for the match against Zimbabwe at East London next Saturday, but not in time for the India match, his absence will be a major blow for the Lankan hopes.

A victory for Sri Lanka would make it a lot easier for their passage into the top four, but it is not, as Whatmore indicates, going to be easy. India are starting to peak and the Lankans expect a tough fight from their neighbours.