Angelo Mathews has been dismissed in the 90s on four occasions. The first time it happened was in Bombay in 2009 when he chanced Sachin Tendulkar’s arm one short of a century and a diving effort wasn’t good enough to give him his maiden Test hundred.
During the third and final Test against Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Ground, Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews fell for 91 in the first innings after having fought hard to give Sri Lanka the advantage. It was the fourth time in his career Angelo has been dismissed in the 90s.
The term ‘nervous 90s’ is often used in cricket. Once reaching 90, the pressure and desire to convert this into a century affects some batsmen. Batsmen tend to bat in a more conservative manner when they are close to their century, in order to avoid getting out and thus missing out on the milestone.
Perhaps Angelo should have a word to former great Aravinda de Silva, who scored 20 Test centuries and was dismissed in the 90s only twice (96 against New Zealand in Auckland in 1991 and 93 against India at SSC in 1993). The great man had his own ways of reaching three figures.
In Faisalabad, on the 17th of October 1985, Aravinda celebrated his 20th birthday. His parents were there in Faisalabad to celebrate the occasion as well. Sri Lanka ended the day on 363 for seven with Aravinda on 93 and Ashantha de Mel yet to score. The next morning, Aravinda reached his maiden century by hoisting of all people Imran Khan for a six. Who cares about nervous 90s?
Perhaps great players never understand what it means to be in nervous 90s. Sir Don Bradman scored 29 Test hundreds and was never dismissed in 90s. Another Australian captain, Greg Chappell scored 24 Test hundreds and was never dismissed in the 90s. But is it true with all great players? Steve Waugh (32 Test centuries), Rahul Dravid (36 Test centuries) and Sachin Tendulkar (51 Test centuries) were dismissed ten times each in the 90s.
Currently, Angelo has two Test centuries and four scores of 90s! The manner in which he has got out while being in the 90s doesn’t suggest any nervousness. Perhaps the first time he was dismissed in 90s was an exception. In 2009, the third and final Test against India was being played in Bombay. Mathews was on 99 when he chanced Sachin Tendulkar’s arm and was run out! What a way to miss your maiden Test hundred. Apparently he was inconsolable in the dressing room and had to be calmed down by Mahela Jayawardene, who knows what it means to be run out while on 99. In 2001 in Galle, Mahela took on Marlon Samuels and was short of his crease. Mahela has been dismissed in the 90s on six occasions, the most by a Sri Lankan.
Russel Arnold, the only other Sri Lankan to be dismissed for 99 was doing commentaries when Mathews was dismissed in Sharjah. Sanath Jayasuriya had been dismissed for 199 against India in 1997. Kumar Sangakkara celebrated the double hundred prematurely in Galle against Pakistan in 2012 when scoreboard operators erred and in the end was left stranded on 199 not out as he ran out partners. He had been dismissed in 190s on two other occasions as well. The star batsman was wrongly given out by umpire Rudy Koerzen when on 192 in Hobart and in 2012 again against Pakistan he was dismissed for 192.
Sri Lanka have turned the misery on the other batsmen as well when they were nearing a milestone. Mohammad Azharuddin was given leg before wicket when he was on 199 in Kanpur while Martin Crowe was caught behind for 299 in Wellington. Guess the bowler? Arjuna Ranatunga.
Other batsmen to be dismissed when on 99 against Sri Lanka are Navjot Singh Sidhu, Alastiar Campbell, Sourav Ganguly, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Brendon McCullum, Virender Sehwag and A.B. de Villiers.
Apart from the run out for 99, Angelo’s other 90s dismissals aren’t’ actually due to nervousness. Against Australia in 2011, Sri Lanka were fighting back in the second innings after being bowled out for 105 in the first innings.
The last recognized pair Angelo and Mahela had added 142 runs for the sixth wicket. Five runs short of what would have been his maiden Test century, Mathews fell to a Shane Watson slower delivery. It was a length ball and Mathews thought this was the opportunity to get to three figures, but was early on his shot and was cleaned up.
Tony Greig was doing commentaries and he summed up the occasion nicely. “Once again, he is dismissed in the 90s. The team-mates stand up and applaud him, but so gutted he is he doesn’t even raise his bat on the way back. Even that last 90 came in a losing cause, perhaps he is saving the hundred for a win.”
Then in the first Test against Pakistan, Mathews had batted so well with the tail to give Sri Lanka a decent total after a middle order collapse. With last man Suranga Lakmal, he had added 19 runs. Mathews failed to read Saeed Ajmal’s doosra as he was lured out of the crease and despite not collecting cleanly wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal was able to complete the stumping in the second attempt.
In Sharjah, after a similar fight back Mathews chased a wide delivery nine runs short of the century and was caught by the deep point fielder.
He maybe not be converting 90s into centuries as much as we like, but he has improved immensely and there’s no doubt that he is destined to greater things. In the Test series against Pakistan, he has been the best Sri Lankan batsmen consistently coming up with big knocks. Bigger challenges await Angelo when Sri Lanka tour England later this summer.
