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June 24, 2006 (From the
Cricket Journal)
The roars of warning are clearly out. Having
beaten England comprehensively in the 3rd and
final Test at Trent Bridge, the Sri Lankans have
already sounded the alarm of resurgence. At
last, there seems to be a conscious effort to
raise the standards of their cricket every game
and it won’t be before long that these efforts
will be translated into notable results. Tom
Moody’s one-year in charge of the islanders has
finally seen a high-point. A test win away from
home is not the easiest thing to achieve for an
Asian team, barring Pakistan, but as they did in
1998 at the Oval, such victories have had their
own say in galvanizing and rejuvenating the
spirit in the Sri Lankan camp.
A major question that might torment the average
fan of Sri Lanka cricket would be, if this is
just a phase or is it real transformation they
have shown from the previous 6 months ? To start
off, in the past 6-8 months of Tom Moody’s
tenure, he had nothing much to show in terms of
results, except for a few wins here and there,
that too against teams like West Indies and
Bangladesh. They had a forgettable tour of
India, where putting 300 runs was a mammoth task
by itself. Then came a tour to New Zealand,
where resistance was visible to an extent, but
not worth an outcome. As the pundits of the
modern game claim, a tour of Australia is a
toughening experience, for both the team and the
individual player. It surely rubbed off in
Bangladesh, where they surprisingly encountered
competition from the home side, before a string
of mistakes from the home side gifted the
Lankans with two wins. One perceived the loss to
Bangladesh in an ODI, as a low point in their
journey towards a successful metamorphosis, but
then the even bigger loss to Pakistan ensured
that Sri Lanka go through a month of
introspection before the English tour kicked
off.
Here they are now with a new blood of spirit
flowing through their veins, a new wave of
confidence taking them through to the shore and
a tough side, for whom results are just a matter
of extending this exuding confidence to its
logical conclusion. Having fought off a brave
English challenge and perhaps achieving the
unthinkable by drawing the first test might have
played catalyst to this revival. A loss without
fight at Edgbaston did not faze them one bit as
they virtually saw through a hapless position to
rout England at Trent Bridge. Maybe, this is
just the beginning. Surely, Tom Moody & Co have
a lot more to offer to the world.
As for the positives from whatever has
transpired in Sri Lankan cricket this summer,
firstly, Mahela Jayawardena’s appointment as
captain as surely infused a sense of innovation
and youth to this team. He is by far their best
batsman at the moment, and as far as his short
stint as a captain is concerned, it looks astute
to the tee. Secondly, the coming back of Sanath
Jayasuriya from retirement has surely had its
say in reinforcing the faith and the belief
within the camp. The young brigade of Sri Lankan
batsmen in Chamara Kapugedara, Upul Tharanga and
Michael Vandort now have a senior figure in a
mentoring role to look up to and his presence in
the dressing room will surely be a big enough
lift the team was looking for. Lastly, for once
Sri Lanka has shown signs of playing as a team,
rather than relying too heavily on individuals
like Vaas, Muralitharan and Jayasuriya. There is
a sense of responsibility that has creeped into
this team, which can only usher a good future.
Most teams only need a small yet meaningful win
to trigger their revival. There are stiffer
challenges ahead of this Sri Lankan team at the
moment leading to the world cup. It will be
imperative for them not to get too buoyant about
their achievements and lose the plot when it
matters. It wouldn’t be too incorrect to say
that Sri Lanka are peaking at the right time,
but what will test them is maintaining this good
run of form. The test series against South
Africa at home will prove to be another
examination for this promising bunch of Sri
Lankans. And, the tri-series to follow will be a
test of their consistency and form.
Sri Lankan cricket has quite often flattered to
deceive. With a rich wealth of raw talent in
their wings, it is time they deliver against
quality opposition. Beating teams like
Bangladesh and West Indies might win them a
series, but will only result in insecurity of
belief when it comes to playing the best. One
surely hopes that Sri Lanka can overcome their
odds, whatever little they might have at the
moment and become a force to reckon with, come
West Indies 2007!
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