Some light at the end of the tunnel?

SINCE Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 cricket has in fact become the number one sports in the country that the performances of the national team is followed with such passion and interest that any fall from grace becomes a national issue which sometimes goes to the extent of being debated even in Parliament.

The first cricket Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan played at the SSC grounds must have brought the smiles back on the faces of ardent supporters who had suffered silently the defeats the team underwent in the past four months away from home.

Even at home they lost the one-day series to Pakistan and going into the short series of two Tests not much was expected of a struggling team.

When Sri Lanka was bundled out for 185 in their first innings the sternest of critics must have nodded and said 'I told you so'. But what happened in the next three days must have warmed the cockles of the most fervent supporters.

Sri Lanka not only wrested back the initiative from Pakistan to gain an unlikely nine runs lead on the first innings but kept pushing them right until the end. If they failed to pull of a win it was not for want of trying.

As stand-in captain Mahela Jayawardene pointed out (being an SSC cricketer he should know best) the pitch was actually only four days old because there was no play on the first day. To get purchase out of a fourth day wicket was asking too much on the bowlers who hardly had any assistance from it.

What were most pleasing from Sri Lanka's point of view were the performances of Farveez Maharoof and Upul Tharanga, two 21-year-old youngsters who showed enough promise for the future.

Team mate Kumar Sangakkara who also began in a similar manner six years ago and has today worked himself towards being regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world describes the progress of Tharanga and Maharoof and what they can achieve for Sri Lanka in the future.

On Tharanga: "He is a wealth of talent when it comes to batting. He has the huge potential to be one of our great batsmen.

He's just started in international cricket and shown us a bit of what he can do and what he can become in the future. I believe it is just a case of polishing up his technique and attitude to batting and his top processes when it comes to what he does out in the middle that's going to make him better.

"That's what you've got to do as a batsman because once you are on the international scene and you are new to it, it is very easy to score runs because bowlers have not seen you and haven't bowled to you before.

Once you spend about a year on the circuit they plan what to do to you when you come into bat. The trick to getting over that is to have a counter attack.

Get different shots to improve, try and add shots to your repertoire concentrate harder, streamline your game. Every basic thing that cricketers always talk about from 50 yes ago to now still apply in today's game. Do the basics well and keep improving every single day."

On Maharoof: "He bowled fantastically on that wicket. He was best of all the bowlers on that track. He was bowling on a flatter track.

When the Pakistanis came into bat it had settled down quite a bit but he just stuck to the basics of bowling a good line and length and asking questions from all the batsmen whether to leave it or whether to play it, are you going to drive or are you going to defend?

Things that bowlers like batsmen to think. Have a bit of doubt in their game. That's exactly what he did.

"Maharoof has the potential to be the magic all-rounder that all sides look for, bat as a regular batsman in the side and a regular fast bowler. He's got the making to be a great cricketer in the future for Sri Lanka.

I just hope that Tharanga and Maharoof realise that very early and take pride in the fact that people are giving them that respect and try and work towards achieving all that they can."

'Australian Wisden' says Murali is the greatest

'Wisden Australia 2005-06' has an absorbing piece by Charles Davis on the perennially fascinating subject of Shane Warne and his rivalry with Muttiah Muralitharan.

Davis dissects the careers of Warne and Murali with surgical precision and he will certainly raise eyebrows with his list of "The best of the best" bowlers in history.

Who would you guess comes out on top - S.F Barnes with Murali second and Warne tenth.

Davis concedes that Warne maybe the bowler of the century 'when his overall impact on the game is considered.' Then what seem to be sound criteria - quality of opposition, length of career, state of wickets, etc he concludes: "If the figures are to be trusted Muralitharan is the greatest bowler of our time." Does that settle the issue?