06 March,2020 07:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
Former Sri Lanka players Romesh Kaluwitharana (left), Rangana Herath and Farveez Maharoof launch their team's jersey in the city yesterday
Sri Lankan Legends will be playing their opening game of the Road Safety World Series against Australia Legends at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. However, Tillakaratne Dilshan's team is more concerned about their game against hosts India to be played at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on Tuesday. And their worries centre around India Legends' opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who has 433 and 74 dismissals in Tests and ODIs respectively, revealed he never succeeded in dismissing Tendulkar, while the visitors' pacer Farveez Maharoof felt it's a big challenge to see off Tendulkar and Sehwag.
"I think I never got Sachin out, but in this World Series, I have another opportunity to do so. We need to get players like Sachin and Sehwag early," Herath told mid-day on the sidelines of the Sri Lanka Legends' team jersey launch event on Thursday.
The Lankans watched Tendulkar bat against Australian woman pacer Ellyse Perry for one over during the innings break of the Bushfire charity match in Melbourne last month. Unlike Herath, SL's former U-19 captain and fast bowling all-rounder Maharoof enjoyed claiming Tendulkar's wicket on a few occasions.
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"It will be tough to bowl to Sachin. Viru [Sehwag] and myself played together in the IPL [for Delhi Daredevils]. I cherish the battles we had," said Maharoof, 35, who claimed 135 ODI and 25 Tests wickets respectively.
Hard-hitting opener and wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana is delighted to see the hosts not having leg-spinner Anil Kumble and pacer Javagal Srinath in their squad. "Playing against Sachin, Sehwag and the rest of the Indian players has always been challenging. But during our time, the bowlers who were tough to tackle were Kumble and Srinath," admitted Kaluwitharna, who along with his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya revolutionised batting in the first 10 to 15 overs during the 1990s.
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