‘Sri Lankan batsmen let down the side at Galle’
Sri Lanka cricket team gave a pathetic display when they lost to Australia by ten wickets at Galle International cricket stadium last Friday.The match was a part of the ICC test championship .The current top team of the ICC test championship Australia led by Pat Cummins showed their all-round capabilities outplaying Sri Lanka in all three departments .
Sri Lanka prepared a turning wicket to favour Sri Lankan spinners but Australia spinners gave a better performance with experienced Nathan Lyon leading the way with a match bag of nine wickets.
“Daily News” contacted two cricketing personalities now based in Australia, Yohan Ramasundara from Canberra and former National fast bowler J.C Gamage based in Sydney both having vast cricketing knowledge
Yohan Ramasundara who is a qualified cricket umpire from Cricket Australia is now a qualified coach in Canberra said Sri Lanka has a batting problem as they couldn’t bat at least 50 overs in the first test . They have to change their batting line up as even batters like Niroshan
Dickwella is not suitable as a test batsman .The way Dickwella batted during the two innings was very disappointing .He tried to play sweep shots and reverse sweep shots against spinners always and he hasn’t not much of shots and threw away his wicket.
Ramasundara who is presently serving as junior (under15) head coach of the Canberra private school said “ A spinner like Nathan Lyon bowls intelligently unlike the Sri Lankan spinners. Even the part time off spinner Travis Head who bowled only 2.5 overs took 4 wickets giving away only 10 runs and that was a pathetic batting display from Sri Lanka while the spinners Lasith Embuldeniya and Jeffrey Vandasay were also not up to standard but Ramesh Mendis the off spinner did a decent job taking four wickets in the first innings.
Actually Sri Lanka always prepares a turning pitch and opponent side spinners perform better on these tracks This is what happened in the series against England . Foreign teams like England, Australia,South Africa and New Zealand. also have very good spinners.
The England spinners off spinner Dom Bess and leg spinner Jack Leach were among the wickets last year as England won with the two spinners dominating at Galle .We knew Pakistan Yasir Shah also dominated at Galle and he has been included in the Pakistan squad for the two test series later this month. We can’t blame the wicket and coaching staff and selectors they picked the best available team but players have to use their brain and play the game like Australia said Yohan Ramasundara Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Matthews are the two experienced batters in this test team but all others have to get more match exposure.In addition we must pick a good wicket keeper and up to now Chandimal and Dickwella are the two wicket keepers but we have to develop a keeper like Sangakkara Sri Lanka always making turning wickets against foreign teams in home conditions with foreign spinners giving better performance than Sri Lankan spinners.After spin legend Muttaih Muralitharan we had Ranagana Herath a match winning spinner ,Dilruwan Perera also did a decent job. Lasith Embuldeniya started as a match winner but he is not up to standard Ramesh Mendis is good but lack of partner from other end is a big issue said Ramasundara.
The former National fast bowler J .C Gamage who played 4 ODI’ s presently works as a coach in Sydney said Sri Lanka team has to improve as they have to face next T-20 world cup in Australia. This is a good eye opener playing against Australia.We lost T-20 series but played well in the ODI series to win 3-2.I. Test match is a five day game but the way we lost to Australia is not an excuse. Australia is a well balanced side with senior players.They played against Pakistan in Pakistan before Sri Lanka series .They have good spinners like Nathan Lyon,Michell Swepson the new leggie having only three previous match experience but he also bowled well .
Thilan Samaraweera the Assistant coach of the Australian A side has done a decent job and their intention is very clear to build up their team .
We can learn more from Australia team preparations and coaches and players have to get more exposure .I am still concerned about Sri Lanka cricket.
The team is good and I think Sri Lanka selection policy is very good.The former Paceman Promodya Wickramasinghe who was my school mate at Rahula College Matara doing a fine job as chairman of the selection committee.He is more concerned about players fitness and that is important for the player to continue the game .I never blame coaches and ,selectors they do their part but players have to realize their responsibility. They are professional cricketers coaches can guide but at the middle players have to take decisions according to the match situation. we can learn a lot by losing this game and should come back in the second test strongly said Gamage.