Colombo (Sri Lanka) – Sri Lanka is a nation of contradictions: one halfbelieves the selectors should be drawn and quartered the other half firmlythat a local version of the Tooth Fairy exists and Romesh Kaluwitharanadeserves to have a medal
01-Sep-1999Colombo (Sri Lanka) – Sri Lanka is a nation of contradictions: one halfbelieves the selectors should be drawn and quartered the other half firmlythat a local version of the Tooth Fairy exists and Romesh Kaluwitharanadeserves to have a medal struck in his honour.And while you are about it give Sidath Wettimuny, the chairman, and theother selectors a hamper of liquid refreshments as well. They deserve itafter the thirsty work of putting together a youthful squad and then beingpilloried for their belief in a policy which saw Sri Lanka upset World Cupwinner’s Australia at the Premadasa Stadium last night in a comprehensiveeight wicket victory to take the Aiwa Cup.When suggesting to the driver of the rickety three-wheeler that Sri Lankahad a chance to beat Australia, he almost felt it was an insult to thememories of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva. No doubt he consideredthe fare was more important than the argument of what he would like to doto Wettimuny and Co. Beat the Aussies indeed. World has beens taking on theworld champions.Well, last night, as the critics of the selection policy scuttled forcover, embarrassed at how their outspoken views had seen a large smatteringof egg plastered across their faces, Wettimuny, the captain SanathJayasuriya and coach Dav Whatmore did not take delight in reminding anyonehow their refurbishment policy was showing signs, after a shaky start, ofworking.Then again, the way Kaluwitharana put the Australian bowlers to the swordwas full of the swashbuckling flair he has produced in recent months. Hehas fought any number of lost causes this past year: one was at Lord’s whenhe rattled off a half-century against England in the opening game of thetournament Australia went on to win. He rattled the sabre once more lastnight and so much gave the World Cup champions Australia a bloody nose asflayed the skin off their bowling.It was the sort of royal reverse salute to herald the exuberant revival ofa young side which fielded with the same commitment they have shownthroughout the tournament and worked at their game.Although he batted with care and skill, yet cutting with the sort ofperfect timing you would expect from Ricky Ponting or Adam Gilchrist, whoearned man of the series award, Marvan Atapattu who partnered through thefirst 13.4 overs and Russel Arnold, who went on to lay the foundation ofvictory, Kaluwitharana did not risk throwing it away.It was an interesting ploy to have Kaluwitharana opening instead ofJayasuriya; but it worked and the crowd, heaving, chanting to the Papa Band(your local equivalent of the Tijuana Brass) and with flags flying addedthe atmosphere you would expect.When Arnold joined Kaluwitharana the target of 203 had been whittled away;but not with total domination. Then the run flood started: the 100partnership was off 114 balls and when it ended, Arnold had collected 47and gave notice that he is going to become a permanent fixture to the side.There were times when Australia pressed hard yet with 62 on the board bythe end of the 13th over the game was well poised and Shane Warne wasbrought on.Warne’s introduction to the attack met with a swift jab to the ribs as hewas carted for 20 in his first three overs with Kaluwitharana enjoyinghimself at the leg-spinner’s experience; anything short or wayward waspushed around with the confidence of someone on a mission. Not a diplomaticone either. No sooner had Glenn McGrath taken over from Warne and he wentfor 14 in the 19th over: a battering ram turning the game slightly towardSri Lanka, but not quite.Steve Waugh rang the bowling changes and attacked strongly but with anunstoppable Kaluwitharana flowing smoothly along little was going to alterthe outcome of this game.The pitch was a dirty brown, one of those low, slow sub-continent turners,a well baked pastry crust and the sort where hitting outside the vee couldlead to trouble. It meant cutting out the wristy stuff and playingstraight: working the ball off the pads to anything pitched in the roughwas also a problem. On such a surface batting becomes the sort of mind gamewhich can play tricks and a question of the ball landing in the right spotcausing further doubt in the mind. Not at all a pleasant turn of events,but who suggested playing matches is such conditions was going to be easy.It is all about footwork, improved concentration levels and application ofthe right batting skills: any deviation would lead to a swift departure,and there were a couple of those in the Australian innings. And a glance atthe Australia scorecard was sufficient argument to suggest a misreading ofthe pitch.While the game was held in typical Sri Lanka humidity and on a shavedsurface, last week’s game between the two had a fair amount of grass andAustralia managed 241 for nine. So, while Adam Dale and Glenn McGrath werequick to capitalise on the more helpful conditions, last night was adifferent tale. Anything off line was a case of “fetch, mate, fetch”.One of the problems for the batsmen trying to work the ball into the gapsis that it becomes so soft by the 20th over serving up a pat of putty andthe harder you hit the ball the more difficult it becomes to penetrate theinner ring. Andrew Symonds discovered this to his cost when scoring 22 ateight in the order: all the runs were singles as he tried to nurse theinnings past the 200 mark and towards a bigger total.When you consider the Sri Lanka reply, all the theories of pitch behaviourseemed to be a mirage: it must be remembered though the light was of theartificial variety and the Australian bowlers are inclined to get morebounce than most, making it easier to hit on the up when the opportunitiesarise.In the end it was left to Warne and Jason Gillespie to pick up the sluggishscoring rate in a bid to run with it. Both perished as a result: 35 runsbetween the pair off 48 balls was a frugal enough response when youconsider what had gone before. Darren Lehmann trying to swing the ballthrough mid-wicket merely to give Upal Chandana a return catch and MichaelBevan foolishly falling on his sword the next ball when he played allaround a delivery from the ever-cheerful leg-spinner whose return of twofor 33 took his tournament haul to six wickets.When you consider how Mark Waugh had batted with skill and patience theweek before for 84 and was the first of the twins to be bowled by MuthiaMuralitharan in the same fashion, through the gate as a touch of sidewaysmovement eluded the normally watchful Sydneysiders you almost expected thebowler to produce a white rabbit from a magician’s hat.He may have a wonky elbow and suspicions still linger in some darkercorridors within the ICC, you cannot begrudge his bag of tricks whichhelped him bag two of the prized wickets in any Australia team. For a manwho had a disappointing World Cup he has emerged as a forceful competitoragain: his confidence had returned and the hesitation often noticeable inEngland seemingly banished. He has, at the best of times a wicked enoughgrin and when the ball pitched into the same footmarks which had undonebrother Mark, Steve Waugh looked decidedly anguished. What chances therehad been of a match-winning total was evaporating.Jayasuriya was full of surprises as well, although the decision to openwith Arnold’s gentler off-spin to compliment Nuwan Zoysa’s fast medium didnot work too well: 17 runs in two overs with Adam Gilchrist feasting offthis particular pea-shelling operation saw the captain replace theall-rounder with Pramodaya Wickremasinghe. Brought in as a replacement forChaminda Vaas whose current form is as decidedly off key as the local honkytonk piano, he quickly removed Adam Gilchrist with the last ball of hisfirst over and Australia’s batting miracle since the World Cup Super Sixeslooked decidedly suspect.Perhaps it was a quietly spoken word from Jeff Thomson which did the trick,but Wickremasinghe was a far different bowler to the one who bowled withoutconviction in the opening game of the series.The sight of Jayasuriya ending the game in the 40th over with a six waslesson enough to the detractors and a signal that the state of mourning hadcome to an end.