The emphatic manner in Sri Lanka’s eight-wicket victory over Australia on Friday which earned them a vital bonus point as well has suddenly put the written-off islanders back as title contenders in the Commonwealth Bank Series Tri-Nation tournament.
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| Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayewardene plays a shot during the one-day international cricket match against Australia in Sydney on February 17, 2012. |
Sri Lanka who had not won a game before their Sydney victory in the tournament were simply not regarded seriously in Australia as they arrived here in the midst of a string of international losses that had seriously dented their class and reputation gained after entering the final of the world cup last year.
The non-payment of players salaries, recent sacking spree including that of coach Geoff Marsh, accusations of increased politicization of cricket which had been strengthened by various statements from players made headlines here making the Sri Lankans appear to deserve the sympathy of everyone rather than professionals vying for a big title.
Poor attendance for Sri Lanka’s matches was greeted by the official TV broadcaster Channel Nine relegating Sri Lanka’s matches to one of their less patronised channels and when Sri Lanka lost the first two matches and failed to win the third, it did not help things either.
But Sri Lanka were never out of the picture as they could have easily pulled off all those three if they refined their finishing a bit more. However as there is no place for the “if” factor in today’s professional sport, No one gave Sri Lanka serious thoughts.
But everything changed on Friday as Sri Lanka blasted the daylights off the strong title favourites Australia, showing scant respect to reputation or alien conditions.
For skipper Mahela Jayewardene what was more heartening than the victory itself was the factor that who contributed strongly for it.
Man of the Match Thisara Perera and comeback-maker Farveez Maharoof were the stars as Sri Lanka outplayed Aussies in their own game in their own backyard with an exhibition of magnificent seam and swing bowling under perfect conditions. It pleased Jayewardene because he had emphasized at the beginning of the tour that the team was going through a re-building phase with so many changes and was looking to build a strong team for the future.
"These are the guys who are going to take Sri Lanka cricket into the future," Jayewardene said after Friday’s win. "Hopefully we can build on that” he added.
Maharoof who was in the wilderness for so long through injury and lack of form was at his brilliant best and his value as an all rounder is something which augurs well for the Lankans. Jayewardene was delighted with how Maharoof came back.
“Maha bowled an excellent spell, and we couldn’t have asked more on his return. He can get the ball to swing both ways, and get some good bounce as well because of his height. Then he has a wonderful slow delivery, and some very good variations as well. He’s clearly on the right track,” Jayewardene said.
"I am a big fan of his [Maharoof's]. He has been playing some good cricket back home. Especially with two new balls, he is one of the guys who can give us something extra with the bat and the ball in different conditions. It's good to have him back. He felt really confident. He is an experienced player, he played in the 2007 World Cup as a 20-year-old" Jayewardene said.
Perera who was erratic in recent times and was even dropped from the team early in the tournament also made his presence felt with two run-outs to add to his two wickets. "Brilliant," Jayewardene said. "These are young guys who are coming through. They believe they belong here, which is great. The energy level they bring to the team is fantastic.
"He [Perera] is a fast-bowler-allrounder, who can field at any position, he is a good slip fielder as well. It's good to have this group of players we can work with for the future. [We] got other youngsters who are coming back from injury. We will get a bigger pool going forward. Exciting times as long as we keep working hard" was an excited Jayewardene’s comment.
Jayewardene also revealed that he gave the bowlers a free hand, disregarding their lack of experience.
“Normally, I don’t tell much to the bowlers and confuse them. They have the ball in their hands, and they know what to do. So, I leave certain things to them, and it’s a learning experience for them in taking control of the situation,” Jayewardene said.
Jayewardene was pretty pleased with his batting and also the move to promote himself to open the innings. "We needed a tactical change," Jayewardene said. "We were not getting starts upfront. Upul is a very good player. But unfortunately he is going through a bit of a [bad] period. We felt giving him a break will do him justice, freshen him up. I just jumped in straightaway [to open]” said Jayewardene.
Lahiru Thirimanne was not given the opportunity to open as Sri Lanka were desperate for a decent start and not take chances with the young man.
"Lahiru is a middle-over batsman, he can fit anywhere. We just need to settle things upfront, make sure we get a good start, which we did today" explained Jayewardene.
Jayewardene was also happy that sacked captain Tillakaratne Dilshan who was going through a lean patch with the bat has rediscovered his form at the top.
"Dilly plays his own game," Jayewardene said. "We never restricted him. He goes out there and plays naturally. He is a fantastic player to have. On the field he saves 20 runs. Even on a good wicket he can bowl five-six overs for you. A complete package. The way he batted was beautiful. We just want to make him a free player so he can win matches for us. He has got three good starts now, hopefully he will get a big one next game." |
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