An opportunity for the young guns
View(s):By Aubrey Kuruppu
Barely two months after the wounds inflicted on the cricketers’ psyche at Bellerive, Melbourne and Sydney, the Sri Lankans have an opportunity to return to winning ways. The tour by Bangladesh certainly represents the calm after the storm.
Lahiru Thirimanne
To be sure, there were some crumbs of comfort from the tour Down Under. Dimuth Karunaratne’s 85, Dinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten 62 and Lahiru Thirimanne’s 91 point to the fact that there will be life after Sri Lanka’s distinguished quartette bid good bye. The deeds of Chandimal and Thirimanne are some light at the end of the tunnel.Jayawardene’s injury induced sitting out has prompted the sudden inclusion of Samaraweera. In all probability, the need to replace like with like, experience with experience prompted the decision. However, in doing so, the chance to give another young batsman has been spurned.
Looking back at Tests against Bangladesh, it could be said that run-making has never been a problem for the Sri Lankans. On the last tour in June/July 2007, the Sri Lankans amassed totals of 577 for 6 (SSC), 451 for 6 (Sara Stadium) and 500 for 4 (Asgiriya).
Sangakkara feasted on the bowling with successive double hundreds. Jayawardena had two centuries and Vandort one. Significantly, Vaas came to the party along with Prasanna Jayawardena, both making unbeaten hundreds and combining in a 223 run stand for the seventh wicket. Dilshan (best of 79) was unable to make use of the relatively soft bowling opposition. In hindsight, he need not have.
To digress, in the first Test at the SSC, four Sri Lankan batsmen (Vandort, the Jayawardene’s and Vaas) made hundreds in the same innings. This was the second such occasion for Sri Lanka. The earlier one coming against India in 2001 when Atapattu, Jayawardena, Samaraweera and Tillekeratne doing so.
Back to the upcoming tour and a potential banana skin. It was good to see the likes of Pradeep Eranga and Lakmal clocking in the 140s and one of them even clattering the helmet of Michael Clarke. But traditionally, Sri Lankan wickets hold no favours for the fast men. Besides the tests will be played at Galle and the Premadasa Stadium. Galle has been spin-friendly throughout and one cannot see a sudden switch in policy. The Colombo venue, last used in a horrible rain – affected the Test against Sammy’s Big Boys, is notorious for its slowness. In the light of this, the spinners must be twirling their fingers already.
Muralitharan (there seems to be no getting away from him!) had returns of 5 for 15, 4 for 87, 4 for 14, 6 for 28 and 6 for 54 in the last three Tests on home soil. Those boots, big as they are, have been particularly filled by Herat. His chances of bowling in tandem with an off spinner are receding. Most Test playing countries have opted for the three pacemen, one spinner formula. Sri Lanka – one of the homes for spin – have decided to go along with the general trend.
As for the visitors, they may not be easy-beats. In Shakubul Hassan, they have an all-rounder who is up there with the best. A deadly striker and a canny purveyor of left arm spin, he could be the key to Bangladesh’s fortunes. At the top of the order Tamim Iqbal likes to blaze away and take the initiative away from the bowler. The supporting cast is adequate without being brilliant.
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