Sri Lanka, who is currently touring India for a test series, is hoping to win the series after ending the first test in a draw. The team have started renewed efforts to record their first ever series win in India. The second test between the Test Giants will be played on 24th November, 2009 at Kanpur on the Green Park Cricket Stadium.
The touring team has never won a test series in India in the earlier 6 attempts and made a heroic effort to do so at the first test in Ahmadabad. The team stacked up 760 runs for 7 wickets in the first innings before declaring themselves. Despite of losing early wickets and being washed out with a scarcity of 334 runs in the first innings, India battled back in their second innings with power-packed performances by their key batsmen and finished the test in a draw. Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket taker in the team failed to grab even a single wicket from his share of 38 overs owing to a flat pitch. The skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, expressed his disappointment of not performing well at the Motera pitch. “We had our best chance when we had them 32 for four but we gave it away after lunch”. 
The wicket played the villain at the first test, with the Indian skipper also criticizing on the same, “The wicket was bad. It wasn’t much help to the spinners. For the fast bowlers also the wicket got slower and slower, we knew if we didn’t give early wickets to the Sri Lankan bowlers it would be very difficult for them to get 10 wickets and that’s what happened.” Both the teams are hopeful for a win at the Kanpur test. But with less than 24 hours to go, the man who is suffering most of the pains of pressure is not the defending skipper MS Dhoni >, nor is he the victory seeking skipper Sangakkara, but the keeper of the Green Park Stadium, Shiv Kumar.
“You feel as gingerly as a bride’s father on the eve of his daughter’s marriage. It’s basically a thankless job and you are out to please everyone. Knives will be out the moment pitch misbehaves,” Kumar describes his state. “And even when you deliver a good strip, nobody would come and pat you on your back. But then that is a curator’s life and we cannot complain.”, the philosophical curator continued. Kumar still remembers the public uproar caused at the last test played at the stadium where India wrapped up South Africa in just three days. The International Cricket Council issued a warning to the stadium keepers on the sub-standard condition of the track. After the criticism, the pitch was re-laid but the locals and media are still unsure of the un-tested pitch.
Another issue toiling up for the Sri Lankan team is the health conditions of pace bowler Dammika Prasad. Prasad suffered from a hamstring injury but still volunteered to deliver 4 overs with the injured arm at the final day of the Ahmadabad test match. Already missing pacer Thilan Thushara, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, the tourists will have to make a huge effort to win the second test.