It’s been twelve long years since the Sri Lankan team and one individual in particular found themselves making headlines – albeit for the wrong reasons.
Umpire Darrel Hair no- balling champion spinner Muttiah Muralitharan during the 1995 Boxing Day test match in Melbourne remains well etched in the memories of the ardent cricket fan. In retrospect that momentous passage of play would be seen in time to come as defining moment when the Sri Lankan team began its ascendency to reach the pinnacle of world cricket, bagging the 1996 World Cup the following year beating none other than Australia in the final with a great sense of poetic justice being done.
Ricky Ponting incidentally made his test debut during that series. It is unfortunate that he will not be amongst the ranks this time around, having announced his retirement at the conclusion of the last test against the visiting Proteas. Michael Clarke leads the new generation Australia side for the first time sans the mercurial Ponting. In terms of personal form, Clarke has had a dream run with the bat this year chalking up three scores above two hundred – the only batsman to do so in a calendar year. Now averaging 51.72 in tests, he forms the back bone of the Aussie batting line up, with able support in the form of Mr. Cricket Michael Hussey. Shane Watson is now back in the side after his injury battles, giving the side that additional seam option. He is likely to feature somewhere in the middle order with pocket rocket set to continue as an opener. Ponting’s departure has once again produced an opportunity to Phil Hughes who has been in and out of the squad since making an impressive start to his career. Hughes, normally an opening batsman, has pipped fellow New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja for a spot and will look to repay the immense faith shown by the selectors. Despite a rather average showing with bat and gloves against the South Africans Matthew Made keeps his place. In terms of the bowling, the selectors have kept faith in Mitchell Johnson who partners fellow left arm quick Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, and Peter Siddle in the pace battery. Despite defeat, Starc had a good outing in the last test at Perth where he shone with bat and ball, cleaning the South African innings up with 6/154 before bludgeoning 68 not out, running out of partners in the end. Nathan Lyon is the lone spinner in the squad, and should he get an opportunity, he will have his work cut out against the sub-continent side that play slow bowling very well. I dare say, he cannot expect a surface anywhere near to that in similarity to the square-turning Galle pitch on which he made his debut.
In terms of the conditions, The Sir Lankans will feel at home at Sydney, the ground at which they have been most successful on past tours. However, the wickets in Hobart and Melbourne are likely to be seam friendly bouncy wickets – somewhat of an Achilles heel for the tourists. To win a test match a side would need thatprefectbalance of firepower and variety to dismiss the opposing side twice scalping twenty wickets. However, to set the platform and eliminate the threat of being overrun, their batsmen would need to be able to put atleast 350-400 runs on the board. The unfortunate truth is that the present Sri Lankan side fail to do so consistently on both fronts. The recently concluded test series with the visiting New Zealand team is a good case in point. Playing at home, and against a team ranked 8th in the world, just above Bangladesh in the longer format of the game, one would have expected the Lankans to run through their opponents on the largely dusty, spin friendly wickets. All seemed to go according to plan in the first test at Galle, when Mahela Jayawardena put the runs on the board with another masterly carved out century before Rangana Herath went through the Kiwi order like a hot knife through butter. Sri Lanka looked set to run away with the series going 1-nill up. Unfortunately, the Lions could not make the advantage count. Having had the better of the exchanges on the opening morning of the second and final test in Colombo, the Lankan bowling failed to do the business on what was more a seam-friendly wicket. Out of the comfort zone of a slow turner and the results just don’t come through. Credit must be paid to Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson for their bravado, but home side were once again found wanting in unfamiliar territory. As it turned out, honours were even.
Going into the Test series, Sri Lanka will rely heavily on their experienced triumvirate of Tillekeratne Dilshan, Skipper Mahela Jayawardena, and the classy Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardena has already announced his decision to step down from the captaincy at the end of the series, and will be looking to mark the occasion with some noteworthy contributions at the top. Averaging at 50.18, he will be vyingg to add to his tally of 31 test centuries. Sangakkara has had a quiet period and will be hoping to build on the glimpses of form shown in the tour game against the Chairman’s XI. Dilshan also had a good knock –in with a century in the tour game- a timely reminder that he is just as effective in tests as he is in the shorter formats. Thilan Samaraweera will provide the anchor, but will need good support at the other end to keep the Aussie bowlers at bay. Captain-in-waiting Angelo Mathews has already played some very useful knocks at test level. It will be interesting to see how his technique holds up against the chin music that will be served up in aplenty.
The bowling is the real worry for Sri Lanka. Only six first inning wickets were picked up against the CA Chairman’sXI, and that at a cost of 439 runs. The tourists rely heavily on the nippy Nuwan Kulasekera, who is a reliable performer at home. Whether he has the pace to bother the Aussies on their home patch remains to be seen. Injury prone left arm seamer Chanaka Welagedara has the ability move the ball both ways and will look to pick up early wickets with the new ball. The other pace bowlers in the squad are Dammika Prasad, Shaminda Eranga, and Nuwan Pradeep. The lack of experience is a definite cause for concern. Mind you they will be up against the side ranked number two in the world, which narrowly missed beating the top ranked South Africans in two the three tests played. The biggest bowling weapon for Sri Lanka will be Rangana Herath, but how much the tracks down under assist him is yet to be seen. The hosts are certain to prepare wickets that suit their pace bowling strike force and make life for the Lankan Batters as uncomfortable as possible.
To go to Australia and win a test series ranks amongst the highest accolades any captain can boast of. Mahela Jayawardena and his men have a mountain to climb in front of them. With all the near misses in recent times of getting that big victory on the world stage, they will look to make this count in what is possibly the last tour for most of their senior statesmen. Come what may, one thing is certain, they will square up to the challenge, and will have a throng of flag wavering support from the Sri Lankan community to cheer their every move.
Picture credit – cricinfo
