Sri Lanka have woken to the reality that what was once considered “The fortress of doom” by visiting teams to the island nation is now no more than a “Fortress of gloom” for the locals as they struggle to defend their status and dignity on home soil against the visiting Australians.
For decades teams visiting Sri Lankan or Indian shores dreaded the trying humid conditions and slow turning tracks. But all that has changed now as the first Test against Australia proved when a mere amateur turned overnight professional, ran through one of the most respected batting line-ups in the world to claim his best return at any level.
Debutant off spinner Nathan Lyon reduced Sri Lanka to rubble with his innocuous turners which made Sri Lanka’s more experiences bowlers look amateurish on a turning and uneven ‘dustbowl’ at the Galle International stadium.
As post mortems and finger pointing emerge from the Sri Lankan mess, the sub-continental teams must surely point the finger at the greedy money laundering Indians in the IPL whose venture to also win their country top spot in world cricket was bought at a heavy price by helping overseas players acclimatize to the conditions and wickets which are now turning out to their benefit.
Indias glory at the top has not lasted long after an embarrassing thrashing from England recently. So the question that arises is, “was the money splashed out worth it for a short stint at the top”?
Australian, English, New Zealand and South African teams have struggled during their previous assignments on the sub-continent. But the IPL and widespread coaching assignments from men from these countries have helped them infiltrate and unravel Asian conditions to their advantage creating a level playing field except for when the Indians, Sri Lankans or Pakistanis tour and are exposed to unfamiliar wickets in Australia and elsewhere.
Sanity and keeping abreast with the constantly evolving technology is the call of the hour. Sri Lanka must strive to keep abreast with the rest or slip back into the pack of ‘also rans’.
TREVINE RODRIGO
MELBOURNE |
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