Lankans lacked experience and resilience

The Sri Lankan cricketers jetted into Old Blighty with confidence and high hopes of winning a Test series for the first time But in the end our showing in the encounters were mixed and we were unable to win a Npower Test, and lost the NatWest one day series 2-3. Lack of experience, wobbly mind sets and inability to show resilience played a defining role in our overall performance.

On the previous tour under the leadership of Mahela Jayawardena, Sri Lanka did admirably. They drew the Three Test series and walloped the Englishmen 5-0 in the one-day contest. But this time round led by Tillekeratne Dilshan it was a sad tale.

The defeat in the First Test match in Cardiff which was nearly rained off, was to say the least better forgotten as a nightmare. Sri Lankans had only to bat for a few hours to draw the game. And yet, they batted like novices to be bowled out for just 82 in 24.2 overs and give England a victory that they did not deserve.

The Lankans managed to hold England in the next two Tests and for that they must thank the rains. If not for the rains curtailing play at Lord’s and Southampton, the Lankans would have tumbled and it would have been a calamity.

Without stars

Initially the Lankans were without some of the stars, such as Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara, having to honour their Indian Premier League contracts before joining the rest of the team here. Jayawardena and Sangakkara did not have much time to acclimatise.

They could not get into their renowned run making acts in the Tests and this was a great setback. While Sangakkara made amends with a match saving century at Southampton, Jayawardena who got some of the nastiest of deliveries, could not get among the runs. Had these two batting greats fired, the story of the Tests could have had a happy ending.

Skipper Dilshan started off well in the friendlies notching up centuries, continued the good form with a magnificent near double hundred in the holy land of cricket - Lord’s. But a fractured thumb kept him out of the final Test.

His recovery was slow and it was not a fully recovered Dilshan who came into the one-day series. Without much practice he would have been in a lot of discomfort not being able to grip the bat the way he would have liked, and his disappointing form in all five games tells the story.

Batting flopped

While the batting flopped, it was sad that the Lankans did not have the bowlers to bowl out the opposition for low scores. Unless Sri Lanka can find the bowlers who could bowl out the opposition twice, it will always be a struggle and remain a dream to win Test matches away from home.

Two youngsters who made an impression and showed that they have the technique and temperament to carry forward the country’s challenge in the longer version of the game were openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Lahiru Thirimanne.

They came in for high praise from some of the cricketing greats here. What the duo requires is consistency.

After the Tests and when the one-dayers began, it was the consensus that Sri Lanka would beat the Englishmen, because we were considered naturals in this style of play and would fly back having won the series. But that longing to did not materialize.

Going into the must win final game, the selections were inexplicable. Ajantha Mendis who should at least have played in this game was again benched.

Suraj Randiv proved that the wicket was spin friendly by pocketing five opposition scalps. Randiv is orthodox.

Mendis unorthodox

Had the unorthodox Mendis played, with his wide repertoire of deliveries, he would have had the England batsmen in a spot. His being continually left out leaves room for question. How he came to be dropped in the 2011 World Cup final is still a mystery and is still being discussed where ever cricket fans gather.

Then the selectors on tour sprang another surprise by throwing young left hander Dimuth Karunaratne to the wolves, as it were in this final game.

It was going to be a pressure game and it required that a player or players who have the experience enter the fray.

Accepted that youngsters must be given the breaks. But not in a must win and a pressure game that this final fling was going to be. It would have done Karunaratne a world of good had he batted a bit lower down and the selectors opened with Dinesh Chandimal.

True that vice captain Thilana Kandambi was sadly out of form. But he should have been persisted with because with his experience he would have been the ideal man in tense situations. But now there is no point in being wise after the event given that the one-day series too have been lost.

Cardiff axed

It is pity that the picturesque ground in Cardiff, which conducted its second Test match between Sri Lanka and England will miss out on a Test when West Indies play in England next summer.

Although the continuous rain shortened the Sri Lanka- England First Test, that the game ended in a decision in favour of the country, gladdened the hearts of all Welshmen.

But Glamorgan, who hosted the game were at a loss, because the rains kept spectators away. Cardiff has been stripped of its Test against West Indies next year because Glamorgan have not paid for this year’s match against Sri Lanka.

The England Cricket Board put the fixture back out to tender and it is likely to be switched to Lord’s, meaning the home of cricket will have Two Tests next summer after all.

According to Chief Executive David Collier of the ECB this decision has been taken with a view to assisting Glamorgan in developing a sustainable long-term business plan for conducting international cricket.

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