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Silva’s leg spin a revelation

The only good and what is worth talking of the drawn Second Test between Sri Lanka and England at the Singhalese Sports Club Ground, was the amazing emergence of Chamara Silva as a leg spinner.

Silva as we all know is a dashing right hand batsman, able to take any bowling attack apart with his correct and belligerent batting.

When Silva first served notice with the bat and was selected to play in a Test, his career was cut short by a joker of a captain, who wanted him replaced with another.

Who that joker of a captain was is history now.

With the attack that Sri Lanka went into the Test lacking depth and terribly imbalanced and with the wicket a’sleeping beauty’ if one can call the wicket, lacking life, and with skipper Mahela Jayawardena dipping deep into his bowling resources, he had a sudden brain wave and called on Silva to send down his leg spinners.

And what leg spinners they were!

Silva with his superb variation and vicious turn proved that he could be a part of the Lankan attack and a frontliner at that, the way he troubled the England batsmen and got them to respect him.

Asked to do the job of a part timer, it would have upset the guy. But yet he showed that if given longer bowling spells and if confidence is placed in him, he could deliver.

Now what those who matter should do is talk to him and tell him that he could be a vital part of the attack and hammer self-confidence into him.

With four days to go before the all important final Test in Galle, what the coach and selectors should do is to place a coin and get him to bowl long spells at the nets and urge him to hit the coin regularly. Who knows he could ultimately end up being an ideal support to Muttiah Muralitheran and even a match winner.

One among many things a coach has to do is to watch and unearth talent. The simple question to ask is: What were Tom Moody and the present coach Trevor Bayliss doing without guiding Silva with his bowling?

Silva was a revelation in the drawn Test and we hope skipper Jayawardena would give him longer spells in the Galle Test.

To the Second Test and after the first day’s play it was indicative that the game could be headed for a stalemate, unless the unforseen happens. And in a stalemate it did end.

Muttiah Muralitheran the leading Test wicket taker in the world said what he thought of the wicket and every one will agree with him, because he read it well. There is no point in flogging a dead horse.

While Jayawardena and his men must be hurting inside, because they could not add to their success that was the Asgiriya Test, England would have been satisfied with a draw, which keeps the series alive and they are sure to fire all cylinders in Galle, wanting to win and not force another draw which will see them lose the series 1-nil. It is said that fortune favours the brave.

And the Sri Lankan selectors when they sit to name the squad and the final playing eleven, they must have the courage to be different and wring the changes that are apparent to every cricketer and fan.

It is also said that those who dare win. The selectors must dare and if they do that Sri Lanka can win the Third Test and with it the series.

But will the selectors have the courage and dare?

Well the Galle Test will tell.

 

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