Lankan cricket needs to demonstrate resilience

When will Sri Lanka cricketers redeem their lost prestige? That is the question that those in charge of governance in the SLC need to ask of themselves and the team.

As the First of Three Tests against South Africa begins at the Centurion on Thursday, it should be seen as a glorious opportunity to look forward and demonstrate the resilience with which the team can bounce back .

Former South African skipper Keplar Wessels has asked the selectors to front up an ‘A’ team against the Lankans. Wessels cannot be faulted.Obviously he has been following the progress of the Lankans against England, Australia and Pakistan and come to conclusions.

Other critics predicts that the Tests could end inside the distance. Probably on the third or fourth day. If that happens it will be a calamity for, not only for the Lankans, but even more for the hosts and above all the TV sponsors. Countries will shun playing the Lankans.

No excuses

Once in the big league no excuses are acceptable. The best squad has been to Protea land and if they were to get bashed for the fourth time, the game will suffer much damage.

The South Africa cricketers have sympathized with the plight of the Sri Lankan cricketers for not being paid their salaries for six months. But that’s as far the Proteas will have sympathy on us.

Once they take the field they will be ruthless and come hard at the opponents, wanting to finish the game quickly and convincingly as possible and make amends for not being able to win the series against Australia.

The Sri Lankan bowling is mediocre. Batsmen of the caliber of skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara must make it a point to score bags full of runs and compensate for the lack of bowling power.

Rewrote history

Dashing and daring Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag rewrote history books when he bludgeoned a smashing 219 in 149 balls, smacking 25 fours and seven sixes in a massive score of 418 in 50 overs.

This dream knock was made against the hapless West Indian side who just stood awe struck and watched the battering and at most times cheering and acknowledging his wonderful stroke play.

There was no doubt that Sehwag was born for big things in the game.

From the time he arrived in the big league, he has been putting opposing bowler to the sword in every version of the game.

Double hundred

In going past the double hundred he pushed to second best the Indian demigod Sachin Tendulkar’s record score of 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior last year.

Sehwag also kept the 30,000 crowd in Indore shouting themselves hoarse and making deafening noise and enjoying his every 25 fours and seven sixes he hit in an amazing display of batsmanship not very often seen.

He is a batsman to whom line, length, spin or pace is no threat.

He has based his style of batting on the fact that the ball is there to hit. He is one who is called an ‘eye’ batsman.

Good eye

Meaning that he has a good eye and sees the ball much quicker than other batsmen do. To him footwork and getting in line with the ball is no big deal. He will stand and deliver to any part of the field or over it with immense power and disdain.

Thursday was his day. Captaining the Indians against the Windies in the one day series in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is resting before taking on the Aussies later in the month, Sehwag led the side cleverly and by example in this crucial game and it was his rapier like use of the bat that led them to victory and the series too.

With regular skipper Dhoni playing a lot of cricket, the Indian selectors would not be faulted if the relieved Dhoni of the one-day captaincy and gave that onerous job to Virender Sehwag.

Belligerent batting

Sehwag was not in his usual belligerent batting form in the three previous games. His failing was not a good omen for the Windies.

Critics predicted that the game is not long away when he would strike and strike with a vengeance.

And when he did strike, it was exciting, enjoyable not only to those lapping up the action on TV and Radio, but to the big house of cricket crazy fans watching the action as it was unfolding.

It is batsmen of the caliber of Sehwag who can attract a full house where he plies his trade. The mere mention of Sehwag in the playing eleven and fans will strain every turnstile to get in and watch the champion in action.

Lara’s record in danger

As long as Sehwag is in the game even the great Brian Lara’s record Test score of 400 not out is always in danger of being broken. Lara must certainly be having many sleepless nights when Sehwag takes strike.

The only other batsman who could challenge Sehwag in aiming for Lara’s record is another West Indian dashing left hander Christopher Gayle. But sadly Gayle is not wanted by the West Indies and Sehwag has an open field.

Sehwag’s road to breaking Tendulkar’s record was made smooth by some sickening fielding by the Windies, especially skipper Darren Sammy who displayed butter fingers in dropping a sitter of a catch when Sehwag was on 170. Tendulkar who sure would have been watching Sammy drop that sitter would have been cursing.

Sammy poor example

An under 12 cricketer would have swallowed that catch. Sammy as captain has been a very poor example as a fielder. To him dropping catches seem to come naturally. He seems more intent on grassing catches than pocketing them.

His poor fielding has rubbed off on some of his team mates who also seem to enjoy dropping catches. Some of the former West Indian fielding greats must be hiding their faces in shame watching the butter fingered catching of skipper Sammy who is expected to be an example. Sammy’s fault is that he is not watching the ball right into his hands. It is hoped that Sammy will get his catching right in the final game.

Poor technique is the best way to describe it.

(erodrigopulle.G.mail.com)