Weeks have passed since Sri Lanka became World Champions for the second time in the history, when our cricketing heroes led by Lasith Malinga brought home the ICC World T20 trophy from Bangladesh. The winning echoes from the night of April 6th are still reverberating in the minds of the people from this tiny island. Cricket that unified this strife-filled nation 18 years ago embraced the World Cup under the leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga.
Both these stunning championship winning teams had heroes, failures, pillars of strength and then the ‘unsung’ heroes in both the 1996 and 2014 outfits. He bowled right arm off spinners and gave his bit with the bat when needed and it was Kumar Dharmasena who was the unsung hero for Sri Lanka in 1996. Dharmasena’s 2014 version in Sachithra Senanayake bowls right arm off breaks and uses his willow to make crucial cameo knocks for the pearl of Indian Ocean just like Dharmasena did back then.
Sachithra Senanayake played a pivotal role for Sri Lanka in their World Cup triumph and while it is quietly spoken about in corners, proper accolades and accent has not been given to his contribution. Sachithra’s all-round capabilities gave the team a much needed balance to accommodate fast bowling all-rounders such as Thisara Perera and Nuwan Kulasekara in the playing XI.
The 6-foot tall Sachithra has a bag of tricks up his sleeve, with the white cricket ball in hand he has around 3 to 4 variations which mesmerize batsmen in spin friendly conditions. In addition to this he is by far one of the most impressive fielders in the Sri Lankan battalion. He brings down his gangling figure quickly to par with earth and makes an exceptional fielder for one so tall. In his younger days Sachithra was nicknamed as ‘Jonty’ for his air-borne athleticism akin to the legend.
Sachithra took only 4 wickets in 6 matches during the campaign, but his economy rate was exceptional throughout the competition. Sri Lanka started off the competition with a close 5- run win over South Africa and in that particular game Senanayake bowled his quota of 4 overs for just 22 runs capturing the wickets of two top order batsmen Hashim Amla and JP Duminy. Hashim Amla was dismissed in the 11th over when the score was on 82 and JP Duminy’s wicket in the 16th over halted South African momentum as they needed 40+ runs in 25 balls after Duminy’s whirlwind knock of 39 runs was cut short by Senanayake. The value of that passage of bowling cannot be articulated enough.
Sachithra’s services were not needed in Sri Lanka’s drubbing over minnows Netherlands in the 2nd game, as he was not even called up to bowl a single over as the Dutch crashed to 39 runs in the 11th over. Sri Lanka’s only defeat in the ICC World T20 Bangladesh 2014 came at hands of the Englishmen when the ‘Hales’ show took away a certain victory from the islanders. After posting 189, Sri Lanka failed to defend under dew conditions in Chittagong. Bowlers were helpless with the wet ball and almost every Sri Lankan bowler went above 8 runs per over but the slippery customer from Ananda College bowled his 4 overs for just 30 runs, giving away only 7.5 runs per over in a chase where Englishmen scored almost 10. Sadly the Sachithra’s performance was to a lost cause.
On 31st of March, the Sri Lankans were up against the dangerous New Zealand challenge in a virtual quarter -final game to secure their place in the semi-finals. The batsmen were not up to the task and at one time Sri Lanka were in danger of being bowled out for less than 100 runs but the number 9 batsman Sachithra Senanayake scored a vital knock of a run a ball 17 and helped his team post a reasonable score before Rangana Herath’s magic conjured. Herath’s bowling spell was mythical and is stuff folklore is made of, but what will be lost in the tale is that he was ably supported by Sachithra Senanayake who virtually dried up the flow of runs at the other end bowling 3 overs for just 3 runs and taking 2 wickets rendering the Kiwis hapless to the spin bombardment. Sachithra’s all-round performances were over shadowed by Herath’s spectacular five wicket haul but he had added his nonchalant service to his team once again.
Sri Lanka’s penultimate battle was against the then reigning T20 champions, the West Indies in the 1st semi-final in Dhaka and a hail storm of the natural kind in Dhaka prevented the game from seeing the end but Sri Lanka advanced to the finals with a 27- run win according to the D/L method. Sachithra was once again economical as he turned over his right arm for two frugal overs from which the West Indians were able to take only 6 runs and the significance of that is would be etched in the hearts of the Sri Lankans for years to come.
The 6th of April 2014 was a remarkable day for the islanders as they beat the high-riding Indians by 6 wickets in the final, a much anticipated pay-back from their neighbour. The rest is history which will go down the annals of the island cricketing legacy. Kumar Sangakkara’s calm resolute unbeaten half century sailed the Lankan ship home but the real damage was done in the final four overs of the Indian innings and Sri Lanka’s newest spin sensation Sachithra Senanayake bowled the 17th over in which he gave away only four runs to the well set pair of Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh. Sachithra failed to pick up a wicket in the final but his consistent passage of economical spells continued as he bowled his 24 legitimate deliveries for only 22 runs and conceding less than 6 runs per over which in a T20 match is gold. Virat Kohli bludgeoned Nuwan Kulasekara for 16 runs which burrowed into the hearts of the Sri Lankan fans but Senanayake’s final scrooge-like 4 run over ensured India losing impetus to score big in the final 3 overs.
Sachithra Senanayake has only played 28 ODI games so far and he has preserved a consistent economy rate of below 5 runs per over though he has only taken 27 wickets. It is believed that bowlers must always take wickets but sometimes containing batsmen inform is far more difficult for a bowler and Sachithra Senanayake has been successful in that department to pin-point accuracy throughout the ICC World T20 championship which will be remembered as the fairy-tale farewell from T20 format for Sanga and Mahela and make-shift captain Lasith Malinga’s captaincy in the final three games.
Sachithra Senanayake’s name will be declared in future as the ‘Unsung Hero’ of the 2014 T20 World Cup triumph.
