The Lankans Answer Their Critics With Aplomb And Blow The South Africans Away At Durban.
Posted on December 29th, 2011
Top Spin By Suni
December 29th 2011
Contrary to their critics~ Kepler WesselsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and Alan Donald in particular and those ‘ little chirpers’ in some of the post write up comments in the Cricinfo columns,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Durban Test was as one-sided as it ever has been from aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Proteas’ perspective in that they wereon the losing side andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ resoundingly thrashed by an underdog team which they probably grossly underestimated. The team which the critics said could not beat an ‘A’ team ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from SouthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Africa butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which today wiped out all the negative comments from some corners of the cricketing world with aplombƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and their fine -performanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at Durban as they played to a team and blew the South Africans away.
With this win Sri Lanka probablyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has set right much of their current woes which began since their World Cup final runner up performanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ lastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ April, their lacklustre stint against Pakistan in the Emirates and having to deal with the indiscretions of a teetering at timesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dodgyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Cricket Administration to mootƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ but todayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ended upƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ securing their first everTest success in South Africa with a wonderful team effort. It is fervently hoped that some of the players sidelined in the current series willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ also be considered in the futureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ where passengers and non performers are ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shown the bench where Murphy’s Law for them would be inapplicable on an Ad Infinitum basis unless a quickfire response proves their net worth and pastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Laurels do not support their continued claim to a place with so much new talent around crying for selection justifiably!
Nevertheless!! thisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka victory is a memorable and commendable team effort where the South African batting seemed ordinary as their top guns in the upper order had no answer to the blistering pace, varietyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and accuracy of quick leftie Chanaka Welegedera, Dihara FernandoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ , Thisara PereraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the wily left armƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ spin of Rangana Herath who ended up man of the match with a bag of nine wickets. Sri Lanka’s memorable win faced stubborn resistance for awhile in the second essayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ from HashimƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Amla,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, who for awhile gave the locals something to cheer about until their removal andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rangana Herath mesmerised the tail where the final three wickets went down in four deliveries. This Lankan win can be rated easily asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ one of the biggest upsets of 2011ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and perhaps with more to follow in the New Year 2012 if theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankans continue their current form.
It was a game where the old stalwarts likeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kumar Sangakkara with his dashing hundred reigned supreme, Thilan Samaraweera all but forgotten by the selectors previously through no fault of his own was solid and textbook correct as he posted his fightingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ton amidst aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ barrage of quickies, bouncers and yorkers from the likes of Steyn, MorkelƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and de LangƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the debutante who bowled with precision and fire.
Dilhara Fernando in whom the selectorsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ still have some faithƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ came up with very effective performances and bowled good line and length with variationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ towards the historic win apart from the efforts of Welagedera, PereraƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Herath where the coming of age of another brilliant youngster Dinesh Chandimal (who incidentally needs to curb his yelping from behind the stumps )ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with sparkling consecutive fifties on debut andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ his smart keeping alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ embellished the Lankan win!
Finally Tillekeratne Dilshan has won a Test as Captain which needs congratulating where despite his contributions with bat and ball albeit minimal, and the usual string of “definitively’s” in his post game oratory almost a hallmark trait~ said with a smile and no malice !ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ augers well towards the win, being opportuneƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as his resolve seemed much more positive and aggressive than previously known but he does need to develop a relentless killer instinct in the manner of an Arjuna Ranatunga to set a near impenetrable field as well as an attacking one when necessary andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ take the Lankans to greater heights.
The Lankan Lions have indeedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ coralled ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the fleet of footƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Springboks in their own backyard, chewed them upƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and hopefully silenced those critics who gave the LankansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ little chance of winning in South Africa.
They will certainly continue to greater heights as the series progresses with a Test and five One Day Games to follow if their form today is continuous and as dazzling towards baffling the Saffies who today seemed a bitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ outplayed albeit with good reason!.
December 29th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Machang,
I thought you are the biggest critic !
I don’t know whether you agree but I noticed the following.
. Without fast bowling with not very short but surprise bounce at 140 k is required to wind matches outside Sri lanka.
we have seen in both boxing day matches (i.ie Aus vs India and this one) that the ball coming at the head at 140 k can be very sucessful.
. To hell with Muppet Atapattu, bowling coach must instruct the captain to use the fastest bowler early. Don’t wait like an idiot until slower fast bolwers cannot get an opening batsman out.
December 29th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
I’m most impressed with LD Chandimal as keeper. We have a replacement for Sanga in ODIs.
We need faster bowlers. A pool of fast bowlers should be created. New talent should be sought.
NLTC Perera should be given more exposure. He will be our best all rounder in ODIs and test cricket in time to come. Matthews and Thilan are not useful all rounders any more. They are batsmen only. Very ineffective bowlers. We are dangerously low on all rounders. Gone are the days of Arjuna, Aravinda, Gurusinghe, Kalpage, Jayasuriya, Hathurusinghe, Chandana, Arnold who could bat well and bowl well too. We need such all rounders.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Dilrook,
I agree. Perera is good , he can swing but not enough agression and speed. Who else ? Only aging Dilhara and Dhammika can bowl at 150ks ( sometimes). They are a way ahead of others. How about new Alvitigala ?
My point is faster bowlers should be used from over 1. All commentatorr were puzzled why Dilhara was given only 9 overs, that too came too late. Muppet Atapattu is the idiot influencing bowling selection.
Luckily Kulasekara was not approved. Otherwise we couldn’t have won this match.
I think we should try Alvitigala instead of Perera in the hext match.
December 29th, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Dham
I agree with Alvitigala. Dhammika, Lakmal, Thushara are also good fast bowlers.
I think selectors didn’t want to take a chance with Alvitigala. But now they can.
At the same time we have to make some sacrifices to develop the only real young all rounder we have. Dilshan is out. Unless he comes back into centuries, he cannot stay long.
December 30th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
A display of traditional Sri Lankan trait of over jubilation and pompous over a single event. It also display our tradition of being offended and taking personal the comments and analysis by others which is part of the business. While this victory is remarkable it is too early to predict the rectification of all the short comings, specially the effect of corruption and mismanagement on the moral of the team and its selection.
December 30th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Cape Town wicket suits fast bowlers and SA has the key. We have to do better than usual to pull through a win or a draw.
Team morale is high after such a long time. I hope the dues are paid to the team which is outstanding for over 6 months now.
Dilshan should play his test game which don’t seem to be with him any more.
Mahela is at Gavaskar’s career total runs. This should motivate him to do better. If he improves a little bit on consistency, he can end up the second highest test scorer. He has the potential. Sanga too can get there. That will be a fantastic record for us as we already hold the bowling record. These motivations can propel the team to greater heights.
December 30th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
Here we have an historic win where the laurels are shiny and radiant and this joker Sena is making negative comments about a “traditional Sri Lankan Trait of over jubilation and pompousness??? What’s his problem? Might he be a relative of Naveen Pillai perchance? Those personal comments by Wesells and his entourage were deserving of a few resounding kicks up their rear for the manner in which they had the nerve to belittle Sri Lanka and not part of any business other than perhaps some monkey business this Sena seems to be on about!Indeed the win has countered much of the mismanagement and corruption towards raising their morale olde chap so “Up The Lankans “and down with your negative comments. Raise a glass to this win and cheer them on to many more ans stop bellyaching in a typically idiosyncratic manner of a negative handfull of doomsday pessimists found only in Sri Lanka as the rest of them cheer their side on!
December 31st, 2011 at 2:08 am
All you armchair pundits and critics fail to realize that Sri Lankan cricketers were not paid for over a year. Just before the second test they received half their accumulated past salaries.
How can a man perform with no salary. Our cricketers are not angels or saints to perform with no monetary returns.
Thanks Pandithayas – JP
December 31st, 2011 at 4:24 am
I can relate to the sentiment of what Sena has said – to keep the victory at Durban in proper perspective and to be prepared to handle criticism without being offended.
It was without doubt a great win. And for the team to come back the way it did, after suffering a real thrashing in the previous Test, was nothing less than remarkable. The team deserves our whole hearted congratulations for that.
As Sena suggests, however, we need to accept this victory – excellent as it was – with due modesty and not allow ourselves to get carried away with it. The challenge is to continue to do well.
Kepler Wessels may feel in retrospect that his comments on the quality of the SL team were not very prudent. But – given the SL side’s poor record in recent times – can we realistically say that his comments were not well founded? And if anyone thinks his comments were harsh, it is good to reflect on the way the English and Australian media savage their national sides when they don’t perform.
It is to the great credit of the SL team that, if anything, it used KW’s criticism as a spur to greater effort and succeeded in proving him wrong.
Good Luck to the SL team. Durban was a great victory. May the New Year bring more victories in its train.