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To cement their place in finals:
SL needs to beat India
Elmo Rodrigopulle Reporting From Australia
Barring some major mathematical quirk of results in which India might
make the finals, the Sri Lanka cricketers will take their rightful place
in the best of three Commonwealth Bank Tri series finals against
Australia beginning early next month.
Here in Australia, it was a day of reckoning for incumbent Prime
Minister Julia Gilliard and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The
Federal Labor Party was going to vote as to who the next candidate for
PM would be. Gilliard won the vote by 71 votes to 31.
However the Lankans must not let complacency set in when they front
up to India at the Bellerive Oval, today. To make doubly certain that
they play in the finals, the Lankans must win this game.
If the Indians are to keep their hopes of playing in the finals
alive, they must beat Sri Lanka and with a bonus point at that. If that
happens mathematicians will be called into play. Still the Lankans can
scrape through because they have a better run rate.
As the table of points table stands now Australia have 19, Sri Lanka
14 and India 10. Australia made certain of a final berth by stuffing the
Indians by 87 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
When the Lankans lost the first two games to India and Australia,
many began to write them off, saying that they are here only to make up
the numbers. But the defeats went o inspire them, and not wanting to
have the tag �also rans� stuck on them, began to believe in themselves.
What got them firing was the tie against India. From there they
mounted their big guns and began firing missiles and shot down India and
Australia twice to showcase three straight wins, which was great.
Lankans out to win
Now the Sri Lankans are the most attractive, most feared and most
watched team in the tournament with the Sri Lankans domiciled in each
state where the Lankans play flocking in their numbers to cheer them to
greater success to carry away the trophy.
Speaking to Manager Charith Senanayake he said that the Lankan
cricketers are not keeping their eyes on the points table. �We are out
to win. Now that we have got the momentum, we intend to keep it going.
�The players are all fired up and can�t wait to get on the field.
Every member is fit and well and available for selection�, said a
jubilant sounding manager who was a dashing left handed batsman who
played for Ananda College, CCC and Sri Lanka.
The weather here in Hobart is a bit worrying. It was sunny on Sunday.
At the time of writing, it is gloomy and showers are expected.
But hopefully when playing time comes around the weather should be
okay. The wicket will not be affected.
The Lankans will want to stick with the team that has brought them
victory, unless a member suddenly falls ill or complains of some niggle.
At the time of writing the �Magnificent Eleven� as the Lankans in
Australia tag them are fit and rarin� to go.
Since taking over the leadership of the team that was in a crisis
with a string of losses, Mahela Jayawardena has been able to get them to
play as a team which is most important for success by getting them to be
ruthless.
Jayawardena who has tremendous experience is a thinking and a captain
who dares. When the top was shaky with the constant failure of opener
Upul Tharanga, he dared and took on that responsibility and by example
has got the starts that are required to instill confidence in the
batsmen following.
Special mention must be made of Dinesh Chandimal who is having a
dream tour. The youngster shows a lot of maturity, is not overawed by
the occasion and his technique, temperament and shot selections are
amazing. If he could curb his impetuosity, it would not be long before
he is bracketed with Sri Lanka�s best batters.
All rounder Thissara Perera seems to be believeing in himself and his
amazing ability and is showing responsibility and is performing all
three aspects of the game. That�s good for him and the game.
Indians jaded
As for the Indians, it is apparent that they are a jaded lot.
Too much of cricket has gone to dim the zest for the game, where at
one time they were the best in the world, even winning the 2011 World
Cup. Great Sachin Tendulkar has been a complete flop. After being
deprived by England of making that dream 100th hundred, he made it �down
under� looking to realise that dream.
The Aussies deprived him of that milestone in the Test series.
Now in the tri series Sri Lanka and Australia have frustrated and
kept him waiting and if his body language is an indication, he will not
achieve his dream as the Lankans too are determined not to allow him
that record.
Critics here say that the 37 year old should be dispensed the Ricky
Ponting treatment by being dropped from the limited overs game.
But the Indian selectors will not dare, hence they earn the wrath of
his millions of fans in India.
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