The Aussie Thumping Was Forthcoming Despite Mahela Litany!
Posted on December 29th, 2012
Top Spin By Suni
December 28th,2012
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There are no excuses that will exonerate the Sri Lankans after theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2nd TestƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ thumping at the MCG as it was in all probabilities forthcoming. The Lankans’ susceptibility to true pace has been showing for long enough for the problem to have been rectified but apparently not so!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And it wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sheer pace and perhaps a bit of inadvertent doctoring of both the Hobart as well as Melbourne wickets on which the Aussies performed quite well being their home turf thank you very much!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ( the former being a minefield according to many observers) thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ did the Lankans in , this time somewhat demoralisingly.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WhileƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was a shooter’s paradise in Hobart where despite the Lankans familiarity with the local mongooses back home skidding past ankle height, which guiseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ some of the Aussie trajectories presented andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they could not contain,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it was the vicious long hop bouncer from a Lillie,Thompson era often kicking from a good length too ~ thanks again wicket and you darned Aussie curators~ that killed the Lions second time around so what will it be in Sydney one wonders? All set for a Lawn Bowling Match with beer and sandwichesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ perhaps albeit unfamiliar territory for the Lankans with a history of ‘Gudu’ and ‘Elle’ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as their ancestral games and a pot of good local Kitul Toddy to drown ones sorrows inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ !!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One visiblyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ painful fact needs to be faced ~ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they were pitiful and all at sea against the Aussie quickies where memories of Aravinda de Silva and Marvan Atapattu and their sublime strokeplay against quicks simply faded in the realisation that this was Sri Lanka’s top of the line Test squadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that floundered with batsmen equitable to the task inasmuch as their predecessors yet could not deliver. To add to their worries theyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ now have three or four top order players injured in the confusion of the lostƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Test and perhaps fortunate there weren’t more !! Yes there was a brief flash of Sangakkara sublimity here but only brief as he too loves his vertical drives at times to perish ignominiously though it may have been a result of the rap on his knuckles and the safety of a quick exitƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ perhaps for which one cannot blame him if true!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Captain Mahela Jayawardene’s press conference sounded somewhat circumspect and a tad disheartening reflecting the mood he wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in where he himself has had little towards contribution as an out of form batsman where hopefully despite the dead rubber situation he will lead his outfit intoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sydney, he should do soƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with a will to save some faceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and perhaps the reason “ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he has demanded thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ his team show more character” after their trouncing by Australia in the Second Test in Melbourne on Friday in a quote from Reuters.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A demand which now sounds like a tough ask unless of course the supplementary replacements DineshƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Chandimal,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ hopefully Thisara Perera and the fitness ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nuwan Kulasekera and Prasanna Jayawardena will boostƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the morale and confidence of the Lankans.There are others like the young Danunjaya andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a few uncapped players who might be worth inclusion towards the best interests of Sri Lankan Cricket, its future and a much needed bolstering where at the present too much rests on the shoulders of Jayawardena, Dilshan, Samaraweera and Sangakkara and if there was a time to start the re-building process giving young talent a chance it surely seems now!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is not an aspersion towards the takeover of the captaincy in the near future by Angelo Matthews which despite the hope he brings into the capacity and the team is no assurance that it would by any means be a smooth and effervescent transition as in fact Matthews still has to prove himself as the quintessential leader waiting in the wings to take over from his illustrious predecessor whose boots he might not exactly be in a capacity to fill in that great a hurry although he has been quite articulate and evocative about it of lateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ !!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To be shot out twice, for 156 andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 103 losing by an innings and 201 runs in two-and-half days was truly a pathetic display of Test Cricket relative to Sri Lanka’s Test ratingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and expectations where the top order batting was woeful and theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fielding in tatters with many a chance grassedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as the Aussies breezed to the second successive win leaving many in disbelief that this was Mahela’s band of merry men who left the merriment to the Aussies who sometimes found it hard to suppress a chuckle at the bungling of the Lankans who surely need to get back to the drawing board in a jiffy!.Of course Aussie intensity was at a peak here where, mind you despite all his trappings, body armour and head gearƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Matthew Wade did sprint in aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Bolt like streak to deep fine leg on the bounday to take that catch!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All things considered it seems fair to say the LankansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ seemed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ totally unprepared ( as usual) to face the barrage of ther Aussie quicks andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their belligerence some of which might have been countered by a defiant Thisara Perera or a Chandimal, their fielding efforts much wanting apart from a few individual shades of brilliance which in cricketing terms are incidental and the overall hammering they received despite Mahela’s litanies and excuses was forthcoming
December 31st, 2012 at 4:07 pm
On third day of the Test, We arrived early to witness the Great Sri Lankan fight back. Our tickets are in the M section. This is to avoid drunks and noise, and to be close to dug-outs (where cricketers emerge from dressing rooms). Let me out a secret now. Front row in the M-section are the best seats in MCG except for Members. Today, tickets are not numbered. So we can sit anywhere. We found seats in the front row. Few minutes later, we shifted position, still in the front row, because of a TV cameraman who was blocking our view with a massive lens. Sri Lankan supporters section was in front of us at the opposite side of the ground. Bluntly, we are at the cow-corner.
As usual, at 9.30, Healy, Slater and Co arrived with television cameras. They are in front of us. I did ‘t see Ian Chappell, who is normally one the first to arrive. I love to see Ian Chappell, 70 years but eternally looks young. Healy is 50 years but looks 70. Practicing area was divided by a large net, so that Aussie team could practice without hindering each other. Few minutes later, Aussie players came out. Few meters away Micheal Clark, Warner and an unknown person practiced fielding. Warner, with straight throws from 30 meters to an Orange colored solitary stump thrilled the kids. Playing area is very close, but no spectator would dare to step in. The fine is more than $7000. The dark clouds threatened with occasional drizzle. It was announced, play starts at 10.45. We had two rain coats for four of us. My wife sought refuge in the roofed area, while I remained with kids to face the drizzle.
Nathan Lyons came to practice batting. With a massive bat he was hitting crisply back to the man throwing balls. These new bats are marvelous. Unlike old bats, these have no water in the wood, wood is hardened, balls travel like rockets. It is so unfair to compare modern batsmen with those of bygone eras.
Now, look whose coming to practice batting. Jackson Bird, Aussie last man, he too had few hits. Believe me, I DIDN’T SEE A SINGLE SRI LANKAN HAVING A PRACTICE SESSION EXCEPT FOR A FAST BOWLER TRYING HIS RUN UP AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GROUND. No pa-pa-re band today. Why bother? Sri Lankan team had given up before the day started. After seeing the great South African fight backs, this Sri Lankan surrender was heart breaking. Where have all the great cricketers gone….Cricket is suppose to be character building.. well, I did’t see any of that.