An incident of monumental triviality — the Randiv no-ball — has been turned into one of earth-shattering importance, writes Nirmal Shekar in the Hindu.

The tragic humanitarian crisis in Pakistan caused by floods, the continuing mindless carnage in Afghanistan, the snowballing crisis in Kashmir and a dozen other things that sane, rational human beings might have considered serious enough to warrant print space and air time have had to compete desperately, but mostly unequally, with the l'affaire Randiv ...

... If the Indian media had had its way, Randiv would have by now been rueing his life-shattering moment of folly on the field over a pot of poorly cooked gruel in a six by eight prison cell.

The editorial in DNA says that the brouhaha over the Randiv no-ball reflects India's obsession with personal glory rather than team performance.

Randiv’s act of bowling a no-ball, with the scores level and Virender Sehwag on 99, has inevitably stirred a hornet’s nest. But just how much of the outrage is justified? asks Anand Vasu in the Hindustan Times.

Just as in life, where you and I obey laws rather selectively — who among us has not driven 10 km above the speed limit, or perhaps after a few drinks at an impromptu celebration? Both of these are against the law, and we know it, but don’t pay heed, not merely because the punishments, if caught, are relatively mild, and because peer pressure does not even come to bear. It’s as though it’s okay to break certain rules. In cricket, it’s much the same.

At the heart of India's continued evolution as an intimidating Test unit lies the efficacy of its captain-coach combine and the careful nurturing of a stable work environment, writes Partha Bhaduri in the Times of India.

In the Indian Express, Nihal Koshie looks ahead to the tri-series and says "Yuvraj’s talent won’t be under question but he must show the heart to shake off the disappointment of losing his Test spot".

Instead of going into a shell, Yuvraj must enjoy the challenge and banish any negative thoughts the Asia Cup snub might bring to his mind. The grapevine has it that he sulked when he was replaced by Kumar Sangakkara as the Kings XI Punjab skipper. At the P Sara Oval, the venue of the third and final Test, he was heckled by drunk fans when going out with the drinks. ‘Waterboy’ they shouted, and got under his skin. It hasn’t been an easy outing.

For so long and so well has VVS Laxman played that we have paid him the ultimate compliment spectators can pay a performer — noticing him only when he fails, writes Suresh Menon in DNA.

Of the many things he has not been given credit for is filling the bowlers with the confidence to bat around him. Yesterday, while even Sachin Tendulkar played and missed, Laxman looked like he was batting on another planet altogether. One where the ball never spins, the bounce is always true and pacemen bowl short only to give him an opportunity to swivel and hook.

MS Dhoni has often spoken about the need to manage injuries so that players are fresh for major tournaments. An article in the Mumbai Mirror feels it’s high time he applied this policy in relation to himself, given how he’s been struggling with a hand injury during the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, and let Dinesh Karthik handle wicketkeeping duties.

With the three nation one-day series coming up followed by the Champions League, Test and ODI series against Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and then the 2011 World Cup it would be best advisable for Dhoni to hand over the big gloves to Dinesh Karthik — till his injury is fixed. Dhoni has himself in the past spoken about the need to manage injuries so as to keep the players fit for important tournaments.

India's once powerful middle-order is not the same anymore and some of the stars look "careworn". Suresh Menon writes in DNA that Suresh Raina's successful Test debut proves to the selectors that the successors are ready to be groomed and there is no need to delay their inception anymore.

The foursome of Kumble, Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar played together in a record 86 Tests; add Laxman to that list, and the world record is still theirs, with 65 Tests. Bring Sehwag into the equation, and that lot has played 36 Tests together. These are impressive figures, and speak of a settled team over a long period. They speak of remarkable skill and consistency in all conditions, against all opponents.

These are marks the next generation will be aiming at. It would be unfair to expect a whole new ready-made bunch to slip into the shoes of the masters. Over the next year or two, the Indian team will be in transition, the famed batting line-up reduced to figures in record books. We should have got to know their replacements by now. This is how teams evolve — some players making it through long-term planning and others taking a short cut in an emergency.

Injuries had kept Lasith Malinga out of the Sri Lankan Test squad for over two and a half years. But he's now back in the scheme of things for the Test series against India. He tells Nihal Koshie from the Indian Express why he will not compromise on his pace and reveals the stories behind his tattoos.

"Injuries come and go, but I have to stick to what has got me wickets. I am a wicket-taking bowler and I can’t compromise on pace."

‘1-7-2004’ is an important date, the day he made his Test debut against Australia in Darwin. Also inscribed is ‘28-3-2007’, the day he took four wickets in four balls against South Africa at the Providence Stadium in Guyana during a World Cup match.

It has been an impressive Test debut for Karnataka's Abhimanyu Mithun so far. Amol Karhadkar in the Hindustan Times writes that what makes Mithun stand out is his stint as an athlete during his teenage years as well as the support he received from his father who is a trainer.

“One of the main things is his father himself is a trainer, so he’s into gym from a very young age and he has been absolutely fit,” said Karnataka coach Sanath Kumar.

Muttiah Muralitharan will be playing his final Test in Galle © AFP

All the talk in the build-up to the series has been about Muttiah Muralitharan's impending retirement.Nihal Koshie of the Indian Express visits Murali's hometown, Kandy, and speaks to the offspinner's long-time mentor, Sunil Fernando, and Murali's school friends.

Say ‘Murali’ and people are ready to spare time for a chat. They still prefer to talk about him as the boy who could turn the ball more than anyone else. The doosra and other variations don’t appeal to people in Murali’s hometown. Here people know him as the keen medium-pacer and middle-order bat, who started bowling big off-spinners.

In the Times of India, Partha Bhaduri pays tribute to the world's leading wicket-taker.

Muttiah Muralitharan's story unfolded through his eyes. Burning, bulging, crazily intent, they were a steely monochrome to the contortionist's impossibly flexible wrists, inward rotating shoulders and that bent elbow which haunted his domain like a vengeful poltergeist. They were eyes that would kill. And wouldn't let go until they did, having foretold doom 792 times in Test cricket before Sunday, 84 more than a more flamboyant Australian world-beater with whom mathematical games will forever continue.

The Sri Lankan newspaper the Nation (PDF link) has a 16-page pullout on Murali. There are tributes from Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni, an interview with Murali, and much else.

Ajantha Mendis tormented India's batsmen when they last visited Sri Lanka for a Test series. But Virender Sehwag says things could be different this time around. Sehwag, who is making a return from injury, has spent time playing at different academies on different wickets against unorthodox bowlers, in the build-up for the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka. He tells GS Vivek from the Indian Express that winning is top priority in Sri Lanka.

He [Mendis] had a really good series against us last time. But we have played him rather well since then. They didn't pick him in the one-dayers (Asia Cup). Even if he is not picked for the Tests we have to prepare for Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv.

We have failed to win a Test series in Sri Lanka in the recent past. We have some unfinished business... like an unfinished assignment in Sri Lanka. We will definitely try to win this time.

In an interview with DNA, Rahul Dravid echoes Sehwag's opinion and is not too concerned by the threat of Mendis.

Look, theirs is not a one-dimensional attack. They have a quality bowling, Mendis or not. Sri Lanka are always a difficult team to play at home. But we can take confidence from the fact that we won a Test each in our last two away series against them. We could not sustain that success throughout the series though. May be we can do it this time. It is a question of maintaining the form right through the series. I think we have a good balanced side which is capable of beating them.