Chennai, Nov 9: The last time the Sri Lankan team played a hockey Test match against India was 31 years ago, but till date the islanders are still to make a mark at the international level. The present team that is in the the City, under coach JAN Perera, are keen to make this trip to India a memorable one as they take on the hosts in the first of the three Tests series, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium tomorrow.The Indian development team under the watchful eyes of CR Kumar are no doubt the favourites. They are an experienced side with as many as eight players having been with him when the team toured Germany for the four-nation tournament.
Perera, the chief coach of the Lankan squad who has played for his country in the late 60's, was confident that his boys were eager to win the series. Lanka's previous best performance has been in the Asian Championship in Hong Kong in 1965 where they lost to the hosts by goal difference.
THE TEAMS
INDIAN XI: BC Poonacha, Anbuj Srivatsav (goalkeepers);Savrabh Bishnoi, Dinesh Naik, Anuraj Raghuvanshi (backs); Bikramjit Singh, Bimal Lakra, Anwar Khan, Romeo Alberque, Guru Sevak Singh, Baljit Singh Chandi, Amar Ayyamma, Bipin Fernandez, Radhakrishnan, Harbajan Singh and Gurjant Singh (Forwards).
SRI LANKA (from): DS Wijesingh, M F Hameed, EPC Suresh, WDDC Perera (GK), SMC Senanayake, AID Hewavasam, PP Wasalage, KN Dadugama, SJ Vandalan, WSA Manjula, TMPP Abeyratna, KAI Prasanna, HMCH Bandara, JR Mohammed (GK), JKDA Parera, PNP Perera, JM SAdeesh Kumar, G Solomans, MTCK Gunapala. JAN Perera (Manager and Head Coach), C A de Silva (Asst coach).
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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