Silva’s leg spin a revelation
Elmo RODRIGOPULLE
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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