After Milinda Siriwardana’s near perfect Test series debut against West Indies in the two-match series, many would realize that he might just be the perfect all-round ingredient for Sri Lanka in all formats.
Before making his international debut against Pakistan a few months ago, he mentioned that he wanted to be a genuine spin-bowling all-rounder in an exclusive interview with ThePapare.com. “I believe, the best way to get into the Sri Lanka national team is as an all-rounder and I want to be a genuine spin-bowling all-rounder.” Those were his exact words!
After only 5 ODIs, 2 T20Is & 2 Tests under his belt in 5 months, he has become an invaluable asset to the Sri Lankan team. His effortless batting, safe pair of hands and the knack of picking up wickets at crucial moments earned him the Man of the Match award in the concluded second Test match against West Indies.
At Galle, he could not make a noteworthy contribution with the bat but in Colombo, Siriwardana was assured in defense and cashed in when the Windies bowled deliveries in his scoring zones. His vital 68 stabilized the Sri Lankan middle order and later in the second innings he made an important 42 which raised the excitement in the dressing room.
Siriwardana first showcased his aggressive flair during his maiden ODI series for his country against Pakistan. He struck a memorable maiden international fifty in 25 balls during a stunning 114-run ODI stand with Angelo Mathews at Hambanthota.
His wicket-taking ability is phenomenal. He captured two wickets in the Galle Test, the first was when Shai Hope got himself bowled attempting an ugly shot and he next had Ramdin caught sharply in the slips. He came into the attack initially to give Rangana Herath a break and he did the job perfectly by maintaining discipline in his bowling.
In the first innings of the second Test, Siriwardana picked up the all-important wicket of Kraigg Brathwaite and triggered a major collapse in the Windies batting. During the second innings, Siriwardana once again broke the rhythm in the visitors’ batting by removing Shai Hope, who was stumped by Kusal Janith after he was involved in a healthy 60-run stand with Darren Bravo. He went on to pick up 3 scalps and end his excellent all-round game with a match bag of 5 wickets along with the 110 runs he got with the bat.
The 29-year old all-rounder from Kalutara got his international breakthrough after a prolific run in the SLC Premier League Tournament 2014/15 where he scored 1144 runs in 10 matches with an average of 67.29 to become the top run-scorer of the tournament leading his little-known club, Badureliya SC to their first ever SLC Twenty20 championship to cap off a dream domestic season.
What makes him stand out from the rest is his attitude & application to the game we all love. He brings the “X factor” to the Sri Lankan middle-order owing to his fearless batting. His never-ending desire to succeed will no doubt add value to his performances in the future. Sri Lankan fans will be itching to see the 131st Lankan Test cricketer, Milinda Siriwardana grow as a player and turn into a match-winner like Michael Hussey used to be for Australia.
Siriwardana has matured over the years playing domestic cricket but he has a long way to go in the international arena. The upcoming tours of New Zealand & England will test his overall skills in playing on seamer-friendly surfaces in chilly conditions.
But, all things considered, Milinda Siriwardana has stood out as the right man for the job and Sri Lanka Cricket will do well to nurture their new recruit into his new found role.
