Nothing Is Going Right For Sri Lanka!

Roshan
Abeysinghe

When you are out of form as a batsman the tendency is for everything to go against you. Generally you can get out to the most unbelievable dismissal. It could be an outstanding catch off a brilliant stroke or a freak dismissal by being run out at the bowlers end or being stumped off the keeper’s pads or something similar. In short nothing goes right for you during that period. My thinking is Sri Lanka cricket despite everything at their disposal is enduring the same fate right now. Everything on the field is not going right. The best example is the last two ODI games or to be more specific, the third ODI.

In the second game Sri Lanka did very well to get to that final score, though little bit more enterprise down the order in the last few overs could have got us over the two hundred and fifty mark and with it over the line. On a small ground defending a score under two hundred and fifty was never easy though the fight shown by the Lankan outfit was exemplary. Mind you there was little or no contribution from the top three Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardane! It was the rest of the batsmen that came up with the fight and very nearly clinched a highly unlikely victory.
The third game was even better! For once the batting wheels were set in motion with almost everybody coming in to play. The opening partnership was excellent and so was the follow up. But what the Sri Lankans will rue is that none of the top batsmen carried on long enough to have the winning score on the board. The final score of 266/7 notwithstanding the ground being large was a gettable score that wasn’t ever going to be out of sight of a good batting unit such as South Africa. It was a score that they could have always taken a shot at. However had it been twenty runs more then with due respect the South Africans were bound to feel the scoreboard pressure. The most unfortunate turn around in the game was the unexpected rain. Had it not been for it, my gut feel was Sri Lanka could have won a close victory. My argument is based on the fact that Lasith Malinga had five more overs left and Rangana Herath also had four overs to bowl. Between there was a very good chance that nine overs out sixteen could have been bowled with some control and wickets obtained during that time. But when things are not running your way situations such as the rain could always upset your plans and when the Lankans had the opportunity of being two one with two to go they are now three nil with two games to go. Yet another ODI series has been lost and very little to play for other than the personal pride of the team and players.
Besides the above, one decision which baffled me was the promotion of Nuwan Kulasekera over both Mathews and Kosala Kulasekera! True the decision was a success but it brings me to the question of the purpose of playing Kosala at all. To start with Kosala appears to be more a batting all rounder. He is one player who can hit the ball hard and his usefulness mainly will be with the bat.
I can’t see him a potent force with the ball as he hasn’t touched the speeds he should have bowled at. In the local domestic games he can be reasonably sharp though in the current series he has bowled at just above medium pace. At best he should be a bowler who could do the filling in job of bowling five to six cheap overs for the captain. But unfortunately he hasn’t been able to provide that support the team needed.
It’s imperative that a bowler of his type attempts to bowl as many dot balls as possible as his penetration levels are not very high. Sadly though the South African batsmen have found him to be easy to score runs off. Hence in that scenario if he gets picked in the side then Kosala Kulasekera the batsmen should be made full use of. But that too wasn’t done and in the end Sri Lanka was found a bowler short, which resulted in the difficulty the bowling unit faced in the last two games.
In the case of Mathews I must admit that honestly I have been disappointed. Mathews is one big thing that has happened to Sri Lanka cricket and I rate him as a world class player. He may not live up to the world class billing with the ball but surely he could do so with the bat. To watch him get out without realising his full potential is a frustrating experience as I believe that he can be a very good finisher of a game. But sadly in this series and the one’s before Mathews appears to be out of that groove and is consistently struggling to get back to his rhythm. This must be one big worry for the team and coaches as Mathews is now an integral part of the Sri Lankan unit.
I am sure the loosing of the test series was a disappointment. But the greater disappointment was the surrendering of the ODI series which should have been much closer and tighter. The Sri Lankans were expected to compete and do it well though its final result has been most baffling and unsatisfactory to say the least. We have read and heard in the media that a huge shake up in the team is impending. Whilst a shake-up and a change may be the need of the hour  it is also imperative that the situation be managed carefully and skilfully as let us not forget that the people concern are past and present greats of the game and hence they needed to be treated with respect. Already a change has been effected and that is to change the selection committee. Ashantha De Mel the former Chairman of selectors has been recalled with a new look committee barring one member. With this change and the one’s to come it will be most interesting to watch the transition Sri Lanka cricket is bound to go through.