Indian team concentrates on spin bowling

GALLE (Sri Lanka): It was a strenuous work out for the Indian team on Tuesday with stress on tackling the spin bowlers and working on close in catches as it prepared to put the ignominy of defeat in the opener behind and move ahead for the second cricket Test here on Thursday.
    
Looking at the players they do not seem sure whether to take the menacing Muthaiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis head on or opt for a copy book defence.
    
While the Indians took to the nets since 9.30 am and ended in theafternoon, the Sri Lankan players resumed their session only at 2 pm.
    
The prominent green grass blades on the ground and the developed pitch seem to promise an interesting match between the two Asian cricketing giants though the Indians would begin as underdogs going by the humilitating defeat in the first outing.
    
The seemingly small boundaries could temptplayers like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhirand Kumara Sanghakkarato have a go at the bowlers.
    
The locals in the city are one in stating they would not like to miss the opportunity and watch the match at least for a day.
    
The hoteliers are aghast that Galle has been overlooked as the venue for one-dayers against India which could have sent their cash registers ringing.
    
The picturesque Galle International stadium is located amidst the meandering roads that head for the Galle fort and people can even view the match atop the old European style fort.
    
The 16th century Dutch forthas the Galle harbour on one side and the Indian ocean on the other and is located about 130 kms from Colombo.
    
A world heritage site, the fort is one of thelargest in Asia built by European occupiers.
    
Despite the longer version of the game being played here, the hotels owners are optimistic of increase in occupancy at the eleventh hour after Sri Lanka drubbed India in the Colombo Test.
    
This however remains to be seen, though all in all these hotels authorities are smiling due to larger bookings in the wake of the match.
    
This comes after the protracted ethnic war and the after effects of Tsunami hadleft the city with few tourists.
    
"People are also keen to watch Sachin Tendulkar in Galle as he is on the threshold of breaking Lara's record," said a hotel manager here.
    
Tendulkar is a mere 132 runs behind Lara's aggregate of 11,953 runs, and if the little master regains his touch, there is no reason why he cannot achieve it in this match.
    
The cricket track in Galle has been traditionally slow and low as it is low-lying alongside the sea though it remains to be seen how it would turn out to be in the years after the 2004 Tsunami.
    
The authorities have raised the ground level by one foot after redoing the saline hit surface following Tsunami. Test cricket matches after the catastrophe resumed at the Galle when the third and final test match between Sri Lanka and England was played in this scenic stadium in December 2007.