| Sports |
|
| Making the bat talk |
|
 |
The legend says the ancient Greek scholar Archimedes proclaimed, "Eureka!" when he stepped into a bath and noticed that the water level rose and understood that the volume of water displaced must be equal to the volume of the part of his body that was inside the water. Thus came the Archimedes theory and the story about him running down the streets of Syracuse without a stitch on his body.
I do not claim such a groundbreaking theory, but a very simple notion that in cricket if the middle order works to its true potential you can pose a real threat to any side in the world arena.
For instance, former Australian captain Allan Border and the former West Indian captain Clive Lloyd dropped themselves in the batting order to infuse more stability to lines full of fresh legs.
In theory, it is said that if one of the first three batsmen dig in and bats along with the rest of the community a side can reach a decent total without much difficulty. The second is that if a team possesses a dependable middle order and there is an inexperienced top order, the top order can draw strength from the batsmen to follow and expedite their workflow without submerging themselves in undue pressure. Ironically, this is the real cloud nine situation, but in reality things may happen differently.
 |
| Samaraweera has all the ingredience needed to take the role of the match winning middle order batsman. |
After the exit of Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya from the Test arena, the Lankan top order fell into some uncertainty. So far, the two rookies Michael Vandort and Malinda Warnapura have given glimpses of promise for the future, but have failed to impress their peers and the Lankan support base that they have clicked as a duo.
Vandort in his nineteen Tests played have scored 1094 runs with a highest of 140 (four centuries and four half centuries) and has an average of 37.72. Warnapura in his short stay at the crease has two centuries and four half centuries with a total of 542 runs with an average of 54.20. However, the performances have not come in tandem. In theory if persisted with, these two have the potential of forming an effective opening combination.
Initially Vandort proved that he was a solid grafter and booked his berth as the next of kin a while ago. It took Warnapura a great deal more convincing to get the green light, but since then he has been the more consistent of the two. However, this situation has put on a lot of pressure on the two main actors – skipper Mahela Jayawardena and his deputy Kumar Sangakkara who are considered as two of the best artisans that treads the green right now. Sri Lanka went into the Test series and stuck along with a 6-1-4 combination.
For a while India too went through the same tentative process, but, it seems that the Gambir-Sehwag combination have come to their rescue. The reason, the two batsmen complement each other while at the crease. That infuses confidence and as a result, they come up with consistent performances.
Just imagine Jayawardena and Sangakkara having a pair of openers of that calibre! What a relief that would have that given the two stalwarts once they take their stance from the umpire at the crease. However, when they or either perishes by trying to get over the early tentative situation, the whole team have undergone very fluid situations.
Nevertheless, there was another contributing factor in this series that went through very inconspicuously. That is the contribution made by middle order batsman Thilan Samaraweera. It seems that Samaraweera who made his way back after awhile in the wilderness has learned from the mistake of taking things for granted.
First he broke the myth that he could perform only on home soil by scoring a solid hundred against the West Indies, which helped Sri Lanka, clinch the series.
Then in the very next innings he scored another century against a side that was threatening to oust Australia from their pedestal while joining another three who did the same in that match. His analysis in the series is 243 runs at an average of 81. Occupying the crease for 685 minutes which amounts to over eleven hours of batting and facing 471 balls which counts to 78.5 overs. What more could you ask from a middle order batsman.
At the same time, one feels that there are some points that he can now provide towards the team. Just take the innings of 144 scored by Kumar Sangakkara in the final Test. Knowing well that a mediocre score would not be sufficient against the Indian machine that had just beaten them in the previous Test, he knew his action plan. As expected after Michael Vandort, made his departure in the early session of day two Kumar Joined veteran Chaminda Vaas – the night watchman who is no mug with the bat. Kumar went along with the rest of the Lankan batting and formed the nucleus of the final 396 and there was no other half century in that innings.
This is the role that Samaraweera must strive to achieve. Coming in at No 5, he comes in early enough to complement the rest of the flock. He has at least one more recognised batsman, a wicket-keeper who also could bat and bowler who also could contribute to carry the burden along. This is the time he should make his clock tick. If he could go on to make three figures himself while getting a similar contribution the score moves on to a healthy scene that even may change the course of the game. So far, in the recent past no batsman has even come close to this situation. Samaraweera has all the ingredients that is needed to make this a possibility. Now the only requirement is application and converting that application into action. |
|
| |
 |
| |
 E-mail |
| |
views[1] |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
