When Nuwan and Thushara rocked Pakistan

Richard Dwight

There may have been much speculative fears amongst a good many, over the absence of the reputed left arm medium pacer, Chaminda Vaas, as Sri Lanka fronted upto the Pakistanis, in a series of three one-dayers for the Bank Allfalah Trophy.

But these fears were short lived, to be soon allayed by the very responsible manner in which both, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilina Thushara, the medium pacers filled in the breach ever so well to be effective.

They shouldered the responsibility with deep commitment, which does augur well for the future.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka were on par having won one match each and, the decisive third and final match was to determine the winner of the series and the trophy.

This undoubtedly, was the ultimate test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka for one day cricket supremacy. They were therefore conscious of the importance of this match, and both teams were geared to give as much as they got and, were hell bent on undoing the other.

Sri Lanka did well to take the initiative to lead off with a formidable score of 309 for 5. Pakistan have earned a reputation of fighting hard to overhaul a score such as this, with a wide array of enterprising batsmen. Achieving this target was within their realm, a possibility.

The strategy of Sri Lanka must surely have been, to create a dent in the Pakistan batting, by dismissing the frontline batsmen early. The aim was not to allow them to settle down to build partnerships, to so consolidate to hold the whiphand and dictate terms.

It's against this background, and much alive to what was required of them in this crucial final - that the opening Medium pacers, Nuwan and Thushara, buckled down to the task before them. They bowled as they have never done before, as if possessed, concentrating on line and length, serving the ball right up, with hardly any short pitched deliveries.

Such disciplined bowling with unflagging zeal by the duo had to bear results. It did with the main batsmen getting out, with the wickets being taken alternately by Nuwan and Thushara - thus accounting for 3 wickets a piece and thereby demolishing the top order batting, for Pakistan to be devastated at 22 for 6,and the rest is history. Significant it is to observe, that Tillakaratne Dilshan,a discard who lost his place in the team - on recall came back with a vengeance to notch twin centuries against Bangladesh and in this final one dayer against Pakistan he smashed yet another century. He on an occasion or two proved to be the saviour to live out the Great Teachers words "The stone that the builders rejected has become the corner stone".

It was as well, a poignant moment for Muralitharan, when in the dying moments of the Pakistani innings he snatched 2 wickets in 1.5 overs to reach the 500 wicket mark in one dayers.

We need to mention that both Dilshan and Sanath live dangerously at the crease, they did seem to get away with the Pakistanis, whose fielding was weak and placement of fielders poor.

Normally when Sanath lifts the ball it clears the ropes, but here against Pakistan the ball usually fell in the outfield between fielders. It did not surprise us, when eventually lifting a ball he was caught in the midfield region.

The victories against Bangladesh and Pakistan, has done much to lift the morale of the Sri Lankan team, which will give the cricketers added confidence as they take on the Indians led by Dhoni in a series of 5 one day matches.

Mahela's experience as a shrewd captain, will count for much to get the better of Dhoni. Both teams are evenly poised and a rousing battle will ensue, generating much interest, with one side emerging as winners for the game of cricket in all its entirety to triumph.