Sri Lanka cricket hits a new low

Sri Lanka cricket hit a new low when the Indians inflicted the second innings defeat in a row when they thrashed the Sri Lankans by an innings and 24 runs in the final of Three Tests at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai after 30 minutes of play on the final day on Sunday Not for a long time has our cricket suffered such ignominy.

The worst defeats came in 1994 when Sri Lanka lost all three Tests by innings. Sri Lanka was captained by Arjuna Ranatunga and India by Mohammed Azharuddin.

The less spoken about those inexplicable defeats the better The Sri Lankans led by Kumar Sangakkara flew into India for a Three Test series with great expectations, looking to win one, if not the series that has never before been won.

But after surviving the First Test the next two Tests were disasters. Accepted that one team must win. But the team losing must see that they do not lose disgracefully .To lose twice by innings is a shame not only on the players, the coaches, the game but also the country.

Initiate a probe

Now those running the game must not take these defeats with a smile and wish the cricketers the best of luck next time. They owe it to everyone to initiate a probe and get to the root of the problems that caused us to lose by innings. It’s of public interest.

We sent our best team to battle and that they capitulated without offering any resistance is a sad indictment on the players, the coaches the selectors and others connected with the game.

With the two victories by innings, the Indians now go top of the points table and have crowned themselves as world Test cricket champions. Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni they have played the game very hard and deserve their status. They certainly can celebrate.

While not trying to belittle India’s success, it is pertinent to ask the International Cricket Council what’s the big deal in having a championship when some countries play more Tests and some others less. Take Sri Lanka’s case. They will not play a Test till November 2010. Isn’t that discrimination?

Sehwag the master

In the final Test the stand out man was that dashing and demoralizing Indian opener Virender Sehwag. True that Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara made centuries, but Sehwag was simply entertaining and marvellous when he put his batting act on show.

In cricket today there is no batsman as exciting and eye catching like the right hander. When on a roll he just makes even the best of bowlers look ordinary the way he bludgeons them. No bowler can bowl line or length to him as butchers the bowlers.

When he was unbeaten on 283, that West Indian sensation Brian Lara who holds the world’s individual batting record of 400 not out would have been on tenterhooks.

But when on 293 and the cricket world was wondering whether he would put Lara to second best, he played too early and presented Muralitheran with a caught and bowled chance. Lara sure would have heaved a sigh of relief.

But as long as Sehwag is striking he is the only one in the game capable of going past Lara’s record. He has been on three figures on a few occasions and a bit of more concentration could have seen him nearing the great man’s record or going past it. We wish Sehwag would one day go past Lara’s record because he deserves it.

Weeraratne system

How the Sri Lankan cricketers would have been wishing that the Weeraratne Umpires Decision Review System should have been in play. They had vital decisions going against them and could find excuses that had the system been in play, they cold have done better. But the fact remains that excuses how ever good cannot be accepted once in the big league.

But there is no point in doing the cry baby act now. The Indian cricketers refused to accept the system and the International Cricket Council, showed that they have no control and after cawing that the system would be operative in the India- Sri Lanka series for the first time chickened out and made excuses for stifling the system.

Accept the system

The next ICC president will come from India and it is hoped that he would get his countrymen to accept this system and instead of fussing and finding excuses would play to that system that has now come to stay.

In The India- Sri Lanka Test at the Brabourne Stadium, there was no doubt that the Sri Lankans suffered due to some poor umpiring. That poor standard of umpiring should have no place at this level of the game.

But in favor of the umpires Darrel Harper and Nigel Llong it must be said that they were certainly not cheating. They were giving their decisions the way they saw it and cannot be crucified. Had they concentrated a bit more and been a bit more alert these mistakes could have been avoided.

When Sri Lanka won the all important toss and batted, all they had to do was grab that god given opportunity and for the batsmen to make it their business to post a big first innings score so that they would not have to bat a second time.

No ability

But other than for Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilana Paranavitana and Angelo Mathews, the other batsmen did not have the ability or the courage to stay put at the wicket and help themselves to a big total and put the Indians under pressure. They certainly could have made much more than the 393 they made.

At the media briefing after the first day’s play Dilshan hit out at the Indian refusal to play to the Weeraratne Umpires Decision Review System and said that had that system been in play he would have been unbeaten and would have gone on to make a bigger score than the 114 he made when he was cruelly given out.

Good that Dilshan spoke out and said what he said. It would have been unpalatable to the ICC and the Indian cricketers. But Dilshan must be patted for fearlessly standing up and batting for the system.

After the heroics of Dilshan and Paranavitana it was sad to see the persevering all rounder Angelo Mathews missing a richly deserved first three figure mark in Test cricket. It is the dream of every batsman to notch up a three figure score in his career.