Sri Lanka Reduced To 3rd Ever Lowest Score At Paarl And Demolished By South Africa!! What Happened?
Posted on January 12th, 2012
Top Spin By Suni
January 11thƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2012
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The South African openingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ bowlers Morne Morkel and Lonwabo TsotsobeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ proved unplayable even beforeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the first change and normally belligerentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dale Steyn was given the leather andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Morkel who was on fire from the first deliveryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ started theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rot for Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the veryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ first over asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he had Upul TharangaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ caughtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ lowƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at backward point swishing aimlesslyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at one leaving him outside the off stump. ThenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from the other end it was Lonwabo Tsotsobe hurling thunderboltsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ showing his potentialƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as an attacking pacie and getting the ball toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rise sharplyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the batsman who virtually had no answer to the scorchers whistling aroung their ears and ere long Tillakaratne Dilshan gloved to the keeperƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and marched off disdainfully to the roars of the nowƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ chargedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ up local supporters.
The normally flamboyantƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dinesh Chandimal did not last long as he struggled against Tsotsobe’s pace, variationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and movementƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ before edging onto this stumps.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kumar Sangakkara attempting a lofted driveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ off Morkel was caught by de Villiers, and twoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ deliveries later Angelo Mathews’ fell to one which reared in his faceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and attempting to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fend itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ off butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ scooped upƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a simple dolly toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to midwicket.
The classy Mahela Jayawardene who has just topped 10 K in Tests previously showed no class at all as he awkwardlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ flashed at a widishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ delivery to point and Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ were down to 13 for 6 as the end seemed near and a distinct danger of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ recording the lowest score in one-day history loomed which was mercifully avoided as the likes of Lasith Malinga and the two Kulasekera’s dug in briefly, hardly a compensationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ for the debacle whichƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ left the team, its captain and fans all over the globe as well asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ those back home in shock and disbelief. This was the thirdl lowest total by any teamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in ODI history.
While the pitch seemedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ different under lights compared to when the South Africans batted, it was nowhere near as unplayable from a good batting perspectiveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as the scoreline suggested and the Sri Lankans surely have only themselves to blame for this humiliating loss with no excuses beyond apathetic and irresponsibleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ batting and negative captaincy perhaps.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The following are some reader comments picked up from CricinfoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in response to the match report attesting to the shock and disbelief of many who watched the game and perhaps the Lankans should overview their net worth based on them and apply some of them towards better performance and an imperative awareness towards aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ remedyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ before venturing out to face theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Proteas in the next game coming up in a few days or else the disaster could easily repeat and Sri Lanka’s cricket future would never look bleaker!.
Quoting:-
January 13th, 2012 at 8:07 am
I have seen(heard) that “senior members” of the team told him that they would do their “own thing” just a day before the game.
Cricket is a team game and no captain can succeed when his teammates are going to do their own thing. “Classy” Mahela has been performing poorly for sometime now. He would not have survived this long in an Australian team, “classy” or not.
Dilshan is not a “Colombian”. It is not easy for a non-Colombian to succeed as a Sri Lankan captain. His recent slump in batting is probably related to the pressure that he is undergoing with non-cooperating Columbian teammates. Only one (may be two — depends on the definition of the Colombian at a given time) did overcome this pressure and succeeded. My sympathy is with Dilshan. Drop those “classy” people and give him a “team”; He might succeed.
January 13th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
What is wrong with Sri Lankan team? The simple fact that best performing batter in Sri Lanka, Thilan Samaraweera is kept out of the team for a personal reasons. Mr.Dilshan is not Captaincy material, he never was and never will be. Sri Lankan team is not selected on merit, Samaraweera’s case is the best example. With Dilshan at helm, many defeats will follow and occasional victory will be celebrated in style.
Dilshan is no different to Indian captain M.S.Johnnie, whose only job is to keep the Brahmins (Tandulka, Dravid, Kohli, Luxman, Sharma, Gambiar) happy. Both India and Sri Lanka need proper captains, likes of Ranatunga or Kapil Dev.
In Australia, the vacation of the Indian team appears to be hindered by on going cricket matches. If uncorrected, Sri Lankans will fall to those depths of the Indian team. M.S.Johnnie has one of the worst possible wicket keeping techniques ( according to Syed Kirmani who was Indian wicket keeper for 88 tests) and a batting technique worst than a under-12 novice. But he got friends in high places. I am hoping Sri Lanka will not go in that path.
January 14th, 2012 at 6:06 am
Thilan is not simply “a best batter” as that privilege must go to baseball, some baked goods or fish as in fish and chips~ he is not only a fine batsman but also a superb fielder and useful spinner and definitely deserving of selection for the ODI’s and if the reason for his exclusion is personal the Cricket Board needs to hang their heads in shame and resolve the issue! Thilan almost lost his life in Lahore and the comeback he has made, short of being miraculous needs to be accepted as a Divie intervention for Sri Lanka Cricket!!
The reference to “MS. Johnnie” hopefuly in humour as Dhoni is no ordinary Johnnie and will not be taken kindly by his many adoring fans but indeed there are some who believe he is suited only for the shorter versions of the game.
Sri Lanka definitely ( no pun on Dilshan’s opening line) needs a good pilot at the helm as well as resorting to selection on merit rather than through favouritism. He will probably soine as a player rather than a captain.
To bring in the cast issue over the Indian selection seems a bit thick but probably has a semblance of truth to it but aren’t the likes of Khan, Shewag, Srisanth, the Singhs and Pathans etc. non Brahmin?