NAGPUR, Monday: Sri Lanka’s nightmares with their batting persisted as they put up another feeble display on a pitch that hardly was of assistance to the bowlers to be shot out for 166 to lose the second Test against India inside four days by an innings and 239 runs and suffer their heaviest defeat in history at the Vidarbha CA Stadium in Jamtha here today.
The win meant that India not only took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series with one to play but also equalled their largest Test win which was against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2007 by the same margin. The first Test played at Kolkata ended in a draw and the third and final Test commences at Delhi on December 2.
The way the Lankans are playing they are turning out to be hardly a team that can compete at this level of cricket. Losing is one thing but the manner in which they are doing so is simply dreadful. This is not the Lankan teams that we have seen in the past where despite losing to India they have put up sterling batting performances.
This team simply does lack the class and the strong mentality to outlast the opponent. Pakistan was a different kettle of fish. They were struggling with their middle order batting following the retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq and Sri Lankan bowlers capitalised on that weakness to fashion out a 2-0 win. But India the no. 1 ranked Test team is with hardly any chinks in their armour and, Sri Lanka with their limited resources and inexperience on their side proved hardly a match for them.
Having said that, some of the top order batsmen were at fault for surrendering their wickets without a fight playing some appalling strokes as if they were chasing runs to win a match. Sadeera Samarawickrama playing in only his third Test can be excused for the manner in which he got out misjudging a delivery from Ishant Sharma and getting bowled but the rest have to take the responsibility for this debacle.
The strokes that Lahiru Thirimanne played in both innings that led to his dismissal is hardly that of a number three batsman. A number 3 of any Test team is the most important batsman in your team and at present Thirimanne for all the rave comments he has received about his technique and temperament has not fulfilled that requirement.
Over the years Sri Lanka has been served by some top class no. 3 batters starting from Roy Dias downwards through to Asanka Gurusinha, the present cricket manager of the team to Kumar Sangakkara, the most prolific run-getter in Sri Lanka’s Test history.
Former captain Angelo Mathews the most experienced batter in the line-up is simply not at his best and his lack of contribution to the team is certainly hurting them a lot.
Only skipper Dinesh Chandimal stood tall among the pile of wickets that fell around him scoring his 15th Test fifty and third against India and his second in the match. He and tailender Suranga Lakmal saved Sri Lanka the ignominy of losing the Test before lunch by putting together a stand of 58 off 68 balls in an extended morning session that saw seven wickets fall for 124 runs.
However their liaison for the ninth wicket only delayed the inevitable but at least it proved one thing that there were no terrors on the pitch and that if you applied yourselves you could score runs on it.
Chandimal finally fell pulling a Yadav delivery to long leg to be caught for 61 scored off 82 balls with 10 fours and Ashwin wrapped up the innings and the match by bowling last man Lahiru Gamage to become the fastest bowler in Test history to take 300 wickets playing in his 54th Test beating Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee by two Tests. Ashwin took 4 for 63 in the second innings and eight wickets in the match.
Virat Kohli was named Man of the Match.
Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal played a lone hand to score his second half-century
of the Test but it was not enough to save his side from their heaviest defeat.
0 comments:
Post a Comment