Irresponsible batting and Lankans lose final
Tillakaratne Dilshan Player of the series:
Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia
It was so near and yet so far for the gallant Sri Lankans. Having got
the Aussies out for 231 and when it looked as they would coast to
victory, the squandered it with utterly irresponsible batting to gift
the final and the Commonwealth Bank Trophy to the home team by 16 runs.
All what the Lankan batsmen had to do was to keep their cool, push
the singles and wait for the loose balls to come along to send it to the
boundary. But it was obvious the way they set about, that complacency
had set in.
When Tillakarane Dilshan, who was named the Player of the series, top
edged a Brett Lee delivery for 8 at 23, Kumar Sangakkara came in and
seemed to want to end the game as quickly as he can.
He hit three fours in 9 balls in his 19 and then a sudden rush of
blood saw him chase a wide ball to be caught behind at 47 and that as
the big wicket that the Australians were looking for.
The consistent Dinesh Chandimal went for 5 at 52 and when Mahela
Jayawardena was bowled through the gate at 53 by a Clint Mckay beauty,
the Lankan batting was in shambles.
It is said that when the opponents allow the Aussies to sniff success
they will come at you like vultures and devour you. And that is exactly
what they did. They paralyzed the rest of the batting with some tight
bowling especially by medium pacer Clint McKay who had figures of 5 for
28.9.5 overs to finally lure the Lankans to their destruction and lose a
game that they could well have won.
In the poor Lankan batting display, left hander Upul Tharanga played
a lone hand.
But other than for Lahiru Thirimanne who made 30, there was no other
to support him in his bid to take the Lankans to victory. He made 71 in
122 balls with 3 fours and a six.
Skipper Shane Watson did a grand job in the absence of regular
skipper Michael Clarke. He held his nerve, switched his bowlers around
very competently and had figures of 2 for 13 in 7.
The Lankans compared to the previous game where they dropped six
sitters, showed good improvement this time round and the catches taken
by Rangana Herath, which prompted the home team collapse, Kumar
Sangakkara and Fatrveez Mahroof were excellent.
The bowlers too were disciplined and bowled a better line and length
and were rewarded with cheap wickets. Maharoof who bowled his slower
ball very intelligently worried the batsmen who could not read him.
His 3 for 40 in 10 was just reward.
Herath tossed and varied his spinners with good control and his 3 for
3 was good dividends.
It was his catch that helped raise the standard of fielding. In the
closing stages of the Australian innings Nuwan Kulasekera took two
wickets in two balls finishing with 2 for 40.
The disappointment was Lasith Malinga. It was apparent that his
injury was affecting and it was proved he manner in which he fielded and
bowled. He went for 69 runs in 10 which was unlike him.
The Aussies were given a better start this time round with David
Warner with two centuries under his belt being the aggressor while
Matthew Wade was content to play carefully.The openers added 75 when
Warner the man the Lankans want out early snicked Farveez Maharoof to
Kumar Sangakkara trying to run the ball to third man for 48 in 45 with 5
fours and a six.
Watson joined Wade and took the score to 115 when Watson trying to
pull over mid wicket was brilliantly held by Rangna Herath off
Tillakaratne Dilshan for 19 at 115 and with Watson’s dismissal, the game
turned the Lankan way.
Then Michael Hussey who is always a danger man was run out when
Dilshan hit the stumps for 1 and the Wade a taken brilliantly by
Sangakkara for 49.
At that stage the Aussies had lost 3 for 9 and failed to recover from
that slump.
David HHussey 19 and Peter Forrest 3 went cheaply and the only
resistance came from Brett Lee 32 and Clint McKay 27 and the Aussies
were bundled out or 231 on a wicket that is getting slow and keeping
low. The sun was shining brightly as the two captains Mahela Jayawardena
and Shane Watson walked out toss and Jayawardena called ‘heads’ and the
coin turned in his favour and he said he would bowl.
The Lankans believe that they can chase and win and like they did in
the second final and went in with the same team with batting up top
number seven.
Australia were missing regular skipper Michael Clarke and fast man
James Pattinson out with injury. Lana’s strike bowler Lasith Malinga
went through a vigorous fitness test and to the relief of the team was
declared fit to play.
Australia
M. Wade c Sangakkara b Herath 49
D. Warner c Sangakkara b Maharoof 48
S. Watson c Herath b Dilshan 19
M. Hussey run out (Dilshan) 1
D. Hussey lbw b Maharoof 19
P. Forrest b Herath 3
D. Christian c Jayawardene b Maharoof 19
B. Lee b Kulasekara 32
C. McKay c Maharoof b Herath 28
X. Doherty not out 5
N. Lyon c sub (Senanayake) b Kulasekara 0
Extras (b2, lb3, w3) 8
Total (all out; 49.3 overs) 231
Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-115, 3-119,4-123, 5-135, 6-151, 7-177, 8-217, 9-231, 10-231
Bowling: Dilshan 10-1-41-1 (1w), Kulasekara 9.3-0-40-2 (1w), Malinga 10-0-69-0 (1w),
Maharoof 10-0-40-3, Herath 10-0-36-3
Sri Lanka
M. Jayawardene b McKay 15
T. Dilshan c Hussey b Lee 8
K. Sangakkara c Watson b Lee 19
D. Chandimal lbw b McKay 5
L. Thirimanne c Warner b Watson 30
U. Tharanga c Wade b Watson 71
C. Kapugedera c Wade b McKay 7
N. Kulasekara c Lyon b Lee 15
F. Maharoof not out 18
R. Herath b McKay 0
L. Malinga b McKay 6
Extras (lb9, w12) 21
Total (all out; 48.5 overs) 215
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-47, 3-52, 4-53, 5-113, 6-142, 7-172, 8-204, 9-205, 10-215
Bowling: Lee 8-0-59-3 (3w/7), Doherty 8-0-49-0 (2w/5),
McKay 9.5-1-28-5,Watson 7-0-13-2, Lyon 8-0-36-0, Christian 8-1-21-0 |
