Bangladesh Series win provides a benchmark for the future
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said that the positives they gained from the West Indies tour paved the way for their Test series triumph against Bangladesh to record their only win in the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
The stalemate in the Caribbean provided a sigh of relief to the cricket adoring public after four consecutive Test defeats, boosting their confidence as their focus shifted to the home series against Bangladesh.
“We always want to win matches and that’s our main objective,” said skipper Karunaratne in an interview with the Sunday Times soon after Sri Lanka recorded their first Test victory in eight attempts since resuming international cricket in December.
“In the West Indies we played on flat pitches. It didn’t assist the bowlers and as a result they had to work hard for the wickets. Bowlers led by Suranga Lakmal did exceptionally well to bowl on the placid pitches that we had to play on. On the other hand, the batsmen prospered and that boosted our confidence. Even though we didn’t win the series, the positives that we gained enabled us to win the series against Bangladesh.”
In the lead-up to the first Test, their objective was to prove themselves that they can win matches and to be consistent in all three facets of the game.
The first Test was crucial as both teams wanted to take the ascendancy in the two-match series. Bangladesh is a country that thrives on spinning pitches. So, the hosts wanted to challenge the Bangladesh batsmen with a different strategy, and they opted for three fast bowlers on a pitch that had a tinge of grass.
However, as the first Test progressed it transpired that it was a batsman’s paradise and the fast bowlers on both teams had to toil hard as 1,289 runs were scored for the loss of a mere 17 wickets during the five days. The pitch was later rated ‘below average’ by the ICC (International Cricket Council).
“That was one of the flattest pitches I have ever played,” he said when asked about the pitch prepared for the opening Test.
“If you observe the pitches that we get to play on, we always get bowler friendly pitches even when we tour overseas or play at home. So, it was important to take advantage as we knew the pitch for the second Test would assist the spinners and run scoring would be hard.”
On a positive note, there were four centuries scored in the match from both teams. That included a maiden double century from the Lankan skipper and a century from his counterpart Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Dananjaya de Silva.
The opening partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne continued to flourish. Karunaratne has scored 624 runs at an average of 69.33 this year and Thirimanne scored 659 runs at an average of 50.69.
It is heartening to see the emergence of the youngsters who prospered in the recent past. Players such as Ramesh Mendis (6 wickets) and Praveen Jayawickrama (11) were able to justify their capabilities with the ball and they had an immediate impact in the series.
The captain went on to praise the youngsters in the team who also had the backing of the team management led by Mickey Arthur. Karunaratne said he always supports the youngsters and up to now they haven’t let him down. That is certainly an encouraging sign for the future of Sri Lanka cricket.
Karunaratne went on to say that senior players will not be guaranteed a place in the team if they are not consistent. For instance, former captain Dinesh Chandimal was left out from the playing XI.
“At present we don’t prioritise the seniority of the players when we are selecting our squad. Dinesh Chandimal was unfortunate to miss out as he was not consistent. Angelo Mathews scored consistently despite missing out on the West Indies tour due to personal reasons. Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando and Dananjaya de Silva have been consistent in the recent past. The criteria is that if you are consistent, you are in the team,” he said.
He also felt that they have a strong bench strength to pick and choose players according to the team requirements.
Fielding is an area where both teams have been below par in this series. It has been a major concern for the two teams over a long period, but Karunaratne feels that the players are determined to minimise the tendency of dropping catches and they have been working tirelessly to fix those important aspects of the game.
For Bangladesh it was Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque who were the leading scorers in the series. Tamim scored runs at a rapid rate. He aggregated 280 runs at an average of 93.33.
Their bowling attack was led by Taskin Ahamed and spinner Taijul Islam. Ahamad who returned to Test cricket after a gap of four years bowled with express pace and control. His efforts were rewarded as he took eight wickets at an average of 33.12.
According to Karunaratne, it was a complete performance by his team with all the players contributing and playing according to their potential. He regarded this win as a stepping stone for the future.
If the national team continues to perform consistently, Sri Lanka will be able to reach greater heights in the years to come.