|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Tuesday, 16 March 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Autopsy on Sri Lanka's Test debacle by Premasara Epasinghe What have we seen during the five days of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia. Disastrous collapse of Sri Lanka's cricketing team, against the world champions, after a highly impressive or brilliant beginning. Everything started optimistically. Sri Lanka brought them down for 220 in the first innings. It seemed a well-nigh impossible outcome. But, Sri Lanka brought it off. Imagine, keeping the Australians - world champions, restricted to 220 - a score insufficient even for a challenging One Day International total. Quite evidently, our batsmen were very much into form. Unfortunately, for some reason or another, at round twenty-thirty and forty, they did not seem to continue at the same pace towards their three figure scores. But in contrast, Australians in their second innings, had three centurions in their ranks (Hayden 130, Martyn 110, Lehamann 129). The mighty Australians, proved what champions are made of. The gutty and fighting spirit, Sri Lankans lacked. With a fighting faultless century by young Tillekeratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka had a lead of 161. If the other top batsmen, concentrated more, they would have had a lead of 250-275. Lively and thoughtful cricket did not seem to be in the Sri Lankan response. The world champions - Australians exploited to the hilt, this seemingly aimlessness of the Sri Lankan opposition. The end result of all this was the acquisition of a massive total of 512 for 8 in the second essay, with a lead of 351 runs over Sri Lanka. If wisdom prevailed, and also, if disciplined organisational efforts were in place, Sri Lanka should have worked towards a soul-saving honourable draw. But, when everything is said and done, what becomes apparent is very much an unplanned attempt to salvage a victory. But, things did not work the way Sri Lankans imagine. Although the wicket was prepared for Murali and Sri Lankan spinners, Shane Warne (15-4-43-5), and MacGill (16.2-2-74-4) destroyed the Sri Lankans for a paltry 154 in 188 minutes in 45.2 overs in the second innings. Batting on the fifth day was an epic disaster for Sri Lankans. The sole glint of silver in this dark cloud was the spot of batting by Upul Chandana (43), who gave everything he had desperately to his innings. It was heart warming given such a hopeless context. The top order batsmen of Sri Lanka, seemed a wee-bit bewildered, probably, unnecessarily overcome by the task, they were faced with. If you analyse and see, there seems a monotonous regularity in the manner some of the leading 'batting stars', like Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardena were dismissed. They repeat these mistakes over and over again and do not correct their mistakes. Further it looked like, Sri Lankan batsmen were giving 'Slip catch training session' for Mathew Heyden when they were batting in the second innings. At the end of it all, what can we thresh out of all this. Put it in another way, where did we err? We can without any hesitation, point our finger at the Sri Lankan team, for the lack of discipline in almost all departments of the game. If we are to assert ourselves, as a prestigious cricket team in the future, we must indulge in a relentless self-appraisal. We cannot avoid prioritizing the need for discipline, not when an encounter is looming, but everyday. I deem it proper to congratulate skipper Ricky Ponting, for his maiden Test victory in the Sri Lankan soil. In the same breadth, I congratulate Shane Warne for acquiring the magical number of 500 wickets and Mathew Heyden for equalling a world record in holding seven slip catches. It was excellent team work, courage and commitment that brought them victory. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
