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It’s almost the Semi Final stage of the Triangular series in Dambulla. It is a must win for Sri Lanka today or otherwise they could forget the final and the Championship. A win over India in today’s game will guarantee them a place in the final with next position to be decided from the India vs New Zealand game.
I am sure it would have been a straight forward situation had the game between Sri Lanka and New Zealand didn’t get washed off for a second straight day which compelled the teams to share two points each effectively putting the Kiwis on top and Sri Lanka second with just one game to go whilst India with five points are having two games which gives them a chance to regroup in case they fail on their first attempt which is today against Sri Lanka.However the scenario that Sri Lanka will dread will be for India to beat them today and to defeat the Kiwis in the next game which would separate Sri Lanka from the Kiwis by one point. This would mean that the bonus point obtained by New Zealand becomes so valuable and Sri Lanka’s opportunity of missing out on a bonus point all the more regrettable!
Returning into the side, Chamara Silva made his presence felt |
It is a known fact that in present day tournaments decimal points in run rates and bonus points can be pivotal and hold the key in the final outcome which is the exact casing point if India happens to win the next two games and Sri Lanka doesn’t qualify. It brings me back to the folly of the Sri Lankan’s in the game against New Zealand when they quite surprisingly shuffled the batting order holding Kapugedara back and it may haunt them if this situation becomes the final outcome!
Having said the Sri Lankan’s should back themselves to defeat India provided the weather holds and a full game is played. The Lankan top order with the inclusion of Chamara Silva looks strong and with Samaraweera expected to return to the side at the expense of Kapugedara the Lankan line up looks very impressive. The fact that Dilshan is batting so well at the top without making something really big and the form of Upul Tharanga should be strong positives for Sri Lanka. With Mahela Jayawardane returning to form with a pleasing half century completing one thousand runs in Dambulla in the process is sure to augur well for the Lankans in today’s crucial game as Jayawardane’s calm approach can be used to build a challenging score provided he can bat through to the end.
The bowling department too looks strong for Sri Lanka with Lasith Malinga in good form and Dilhara Fernando despite the criticism leveled at him putting his hand up in the game against India with a polished spell. The only worry could be Kulasekera who didn’t appear to be his usual self with his movement and accuracy. It would be interesting to note whether the highly talented Thisara Perera who is considered an Indian specialist will be given a go in this crucial game.
Thisara of course is superior in the batting department thought he hasn’t really done anything note worthy in the limited opportunities he has had as a bowler. He will however remain a player with immense potential and could be the second all rounder Sri Lanka is looking for behind Mathews in the shorter versions of the game.In the spin department Suraj Randiv is bound to return to the side today after serving a one match ban. For the youngster who is just finding his feet in the big league it was no doubt an experience he should not repeat in the future.
However it is important for Randiv to take it as a lesson learned and use it positively to maintain and uphold the spirit of cricket all the time. Let’s also not forget that Sri Lanka has won the award for Spirit of Cricket three times in the past and hence any action which could tarnish its reputation deliberate or otherwise should be avoided. And on that score Sri Lanka Cricket’s decision to act swiftly should be commended which sent out a very strong message to the players that the spirit of cricket should be maintained and upheld and to the rest of the world that the whip will be cracked if and when the need arises.
Mind you the no ball bowled by Randiv has no disciplinary connotations attached to it as it didn’t violate any regulation or any other laid down law other than it being a noball which is perfectly normal, but it had everything to do with playing the game in the manner it should be and that is to play in the right spirit. The decision to penalize both Randiv and Dilshan drew applause form knowledgeable commentators such as Tony Greg, Arun Lal and Mike Haysman who are part of the Ten Sports commentary team and the Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. However what was most surprising was that skipper Sangakkara who as the captain is the custodian of the Spirit of Cricket was only advised to avoid such situations without being given a punishment when he would be expected to take full responsibility for any action on the field! That is both individually and collectively!
Back to the game it is quite clear that Suraj Randiv has now become a vital cog in the Sri Lankan line up with not just his bowling but batting too. His inning’s against the Indians in the last game was played under pressure and was instrumental in giving Sri Lanka some respectability towards the end and such contributions with the bat at no eight is always handy in any form of the game. Ajantha Mendis who has made a strong return to the Sri Lankan line up should be the second spinner if Sri Lanka opts for one today.
Mendis now appears to be bowling with greater control and more importantly with confidence which was lacking some time ago. Whilst there may be an argument that his mysteries have been found out, it is quite visible that the respect the batsmen have for him hasn’t reduced. Though Mendis would use his off break as a stock ball in his armory the fact that he could bowl a variety of deliveries makes the bowling combination of Sri Lanka unique as they would posses two highly unorthodox bowlers in Mendis and Malinga! With both teams evenly matched and with the final and the Championship being the ultimate goal, it would be a more of a grudge match when the game commences today with Sri Lanka desperate for a win. However the unseasonal rains in Dambulla may have the last word if it continues to prevail in the region.
* Roshan Abeysinghe is a leading cricket promoter and an international cricket commentator |
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