Sri Lanka may have lost the five-match One-Day International series to South Africa 3-2 but the question remains whether with their back to back wins in the fourth and fifth matches they have somewhat turned the corner and are prepared to play their brand of cricket that has brought them many victories and trophies over the years.
It took the team management quite a while to realise that preparing turning pitches to help win matches in the one-day format was not working according to the script although it did work in the Tests. After having been completely outplayed in the first two ODIs at Dambulla, the management got down to brass tacks and eventually came to a conclusion that the team’s forte was their batting and that they were not providing the batters with the kind of pitches they can come up with match-winning totals.
This undoubtedly was a breadth of fresh air, and a welcome change of policy. It would be interesting to find out what prompted this change of tune, and who among the policy makers were advocating playing on under prepared surfaces adding little or no value to our cricketing fortunes.
Thus from the third ODI the preparation of pitches for the remaining matches was in complete contrast to the first two that were dry turners. The result was that in the third ODI both teams racked up a thumping 648 runs. Although Sri Lanka scored 285 and still lost the match by 76 runs did not matter for the foundation had been laid on the type of pitches that need to be prepared leading upto the 2019 World Cup.
That Sri Lanka was able to win the next two matches was largely due to their batting that racked up totals of 306/7 and 299/8. Against this type of totals Sri Lanka had the type of bowlers to restrict the opposition if not bowl them out without any assistance from the pitch.
MATHEWS DELIVERS
The captain Angelo Mathews was under some kind of pressure to deliver. He was criticised in certain quarters that his value to the team lay as an all-rounder and by keeping away from bowling he was giving negative signals to the team he was leading. But from Mathews’ point of view he was coming out of injury and was not in a great hurry to take the ball into his hand, his first priority was to see through a series without injury and to his credit it must be said he came out with flying colours. He not only played the five ODIs but was the top run-getter in the series with 235 runs at an average of 78 and a strike rate of 83. He provided the kind of consistency in the batting which his team mates lacked.
There were useful contributions from players like Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, and Dhananjaya de Silva but the consistency was lacking. The biggest drawback was the form of Kusal Mendis of whom a lot was expected. He is too good a player to fail often and is bound to come good perhaps in the next series which is the Asia Cup in the UAE next month.
As for Upul Tharanga it is difficult to see how he can fit into the team with his tendency to flash at balls outside the off-stump that has continually led to his dismissals. He is no doubt an attractive batsman to watch when on song but here on subcontinent pitches if he is going to be dismissed fishing at balls outside the off stump one wonders how he would survive in England where conditions are ideal for swing bowling. Tharanga is the most experienced batsman in the Lankan line-up with 228 ODI appearances and 15 centuries for his country since 2005, but his contributions have been few and far between for a player with his experience. Another factor is his fielding which is not that great and makes him a liability.
It took a while for the team to realise that they were wasting their time playing the likes of the two Jayasuriyas Shehan and Prabath and in the last two ODIs brought in Dasun Shanaka. What an impact he made with his exuberant batting in the fourth ODI that paved the way for Sri Lanka breaking their run off 11 consecutive defeats to South Africa. Shanaka’s knock of 65 off 34 balls with five sixes and his run out of JP Duminy with a direct hit at a crucial stage of South Africa’s run chase paved the way for Sri Lanka’s exciting three-run win at Pallekele.
THE SECOND COMING OF THISARA PERERA
The positive note for Sri Lanka in the series was the role played by Thisara Perera. Everyone knew of the outstanding talent he possessed but due to various factors Perera failed to perform consistently in the initial part of his career giving only brief glimpses of what he is capable of with both bat and ball. However this present support staff has been working on his batting and bowling and converted him into the player everyone thought he will be. With the World Cup fast approaching the form Perera displayed during the series was quite heartwarming. He is going to play an integral part on how far Sri Lanka will proceed in the World Cup in England next year.
Perera has the capacity to win matches on his own with either bat or ball and this is vital from a team’s point of view to have a player of his calibre in the eleven. In the South African series Perera scored 148 runs (avg. 37) and captured 7 wickets (avg. 22.14). It was a far cry from the Perera we have all got accustomed to because there was positivity and purpose in his batting and his bowling has improved vastly.
In Akila Dananjaya, Sri Lanka has found a match-winning bowler who is capable of bowling opposition sides out. He rattled the strong Indian batting at Pallekele last year with figures of 6/54 and against South Africa he showed that he was made of sterner stuff that prompted his captain to remark that ‘he is made out of steel’ when after being hit for 81 runs in the third ODI he came back strongly at the R Premadasa Stadium to rout the Proteas for 121 with career best figures of 6 for 29.
The key to Dananjaya’s success has been is that he is unafraid to experiment with his variations even if he is hit for runs. “There is a big difference when you consider his debut, and you look at him now. He bowls with a lot of confidence. He’s not afraid to bowl his variations. And those variations are now also bowled with a lot of control. So those add up to a big difference,” said Mathews.
RABADA, NGIDI MADE THE DIFFERENCE
South Africa perhaps felt the absence of their captain Faf du Plessis who had to leave for home after leading his team to a series clinching 3-0 lead in the third ODI at Pallekele having injured his right arm while fielding. Wicket-keeper De Kock who took over the leadership lost the next two matches.
The presence of JP Duminy in the team made a whole lot of difference to the team. Like de Kock explained last Sunday, “JP has come into the series with a free mind set and it’s worked well for him. He is obviously offloading that mindset to the team also. He is been doing with the batting and his bowling and as an all round unit. It’s great to have him in this all round mood where he will be a big part of our team going forward.”
Duminy and De Kock were South Africa’s leading run-getters each with over 200 runs but the key to South Africa’s success in the series was their fast bowling unit led by Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and supported by Andile Phehelukwayo and Wilhelm Mulder who accounted for 30 of the 41 wickets to fall to bowlers.
Rabada and Ngidi as a pair were deadly with the new ball and played key roles in the first three ODIs that South Africa won to win the series initiating early breakthroughs that proved a setback to the Lankan batting. Once either of them was rested for the remaining two games the Lankan batsmen had the freedom to score freely which was proved by the opening partnerships of 61 and 50.
“Those two are very high class bowlers they’ve been around awhile now in Test matches, ODIs and T20Is they are always looking to strike up front and actually take wickets. In all three formats they know how to take wickets. That’s why we gave youngsters like Junior Dala and other seam bowlers the chance to learn how to take wickets and how to bowl at situations,” said de Kock. The challenge before the present set of administrators and support staff is to change course and re-calibrate the wheel to prepare our team for the fast approaching World Cup 2019. The evidence of selections and general management of affairs witnessed during the on-going ODI series leaves one with little or no comfort that things are under control. We can only keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
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