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Right Formula, the Dramatic Turnaround in Sri Lanka Cricket

Right Formula, the Dramatic Turnaround in Sri Lanka Cricket

14 Tuesday 28th February, 2012 The turnaround Now, the runs up to Number 5. Then, it is the case of the all-rounders and What of the turnaround? Skipper is known to be a great fin- Morgan’s has studied the isher and tagged in the class of a opposition, taking into consideration the Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a compliment to strengths and the weaknesses of his own both Mathews and . It is also team. The weaknesses of the Sri Lankan redeeming to see improv- Test Sri Lanka team started with batting, despite the ooz- ing his skill levels. He always had the talent in the World Cup and also in Mahela Jayawardene ing talent. Batting was all over and the correct players were not put into the cor- but is now a mature cricketer. rect slots. He would also have told Dilshan; place for “okay,you are batting at the top of the Bowling order and I am also going to bat with you! Let is both play free cricket,” which would In the bowling department, we have two effective spinners in and Sri Lanka tour have been sweet music to Dilshan’s ears, playing easy and freely without worrying Sachithra Ekanayake, who are proving to about what was going to happen in the be match winners. next ! was not as effective as in jeopardy Mahela would have told Dilshan, “if he ought to have been, especially when he the ball is meant to be hit, you go ahead bowled in South Africa or when he bowled BY NICK HOULT in mate and hit it and I will account for it!” in sub-continental conditions. But we hope The greatest thing that Mahela did was that he will come good. was to know last night if to show the world that if he had time in It was indeed disappointing that Sri his continued struggle to transfer his one- the center and at the back of his mind he Lanka lost the first game to Michael day skills to has cost him a knew that he had the full 50 overs and no Clarke’s Australians by five runs, but there place on the tour to Sri Lanka. one was going to tell me anything, I am were signs that the team was gelling. When The players were be told after the here to score! He has also been very Sri Lanka lost the first two games to both series-deciding Twenty-20 match in Abu impressive opening the innings in the lim- and , the loss was due to the batting slots. Sadly enough, if Upul Dhabi yesterday who is going on the tour, Tharanga does not have the technique to which begins in a little under two weeks’ play in Aussie conditions, he should be on time. the bench. The selectors on tour have done The squad will be announced publicly Commonwealth Tri-Nation Series in Australia on Tuesday by Geoff Miller, the national a sterling job by keeping him there. Sri Lanka did well to beat Australia selector, and Morgan’s place on the trip quite comprehensively by 51 runs up at has been jeopardised by an awful run of Sydney. It is certainly no joke when you get form in the Middle East in which he has bonus points against a mighty side like managed a top score of just 31 from 12 Australia, who are playing at home! innings against Pakistan. The game against India which ended in He has failed despite numerous oppor- a tie was sad indeed, but it could have gone tunities to learn a method of survival and Right formula, the success against spin and Andy Flower, the either way though that was a game Sri Lanka deserved to win. This is also to say England coach, offered little in the way of that there are no ifs and buts in cricket. assurance yesterday, 24 hours after Jonny Lasith Malinga’s body language said it all Bairstow announced himself as a rival. while fielding. He did not seem to concen- “He’s had little glimpses of success, I dramatic turnaround trate, dropping some vital catches and think he’s got a couple of Test centuries missed some vital run out chances as well. [during his career],” said Flower. “But he’s Most were critical that he gave away had a tough tour of the UAE, there’s no three runs in what was the doubt about that. And I think his record last ball of that game. But would suggest that he’s found Test cricket the batsman was Dhoni, pretty tough. I think he’s averaging about in a great finisher. 30 so he’s got some work to do in that Yorkers, if they fall in regard.” the right area, would Flower did not want to talk about the BY RAV I LADDUWAHETTY have been all right. On Test squad on Sunday, preferring to review the contrary,if it was a the tour to the UAE as a whole, but ri Lanka cricket, especially in full toss, Dhoni would Bairstow’s unbeaten 60 on Saturday, which the on-going Commonwealth included five fours and two sixes, to help SBank series, seems to be England to a 38-run win against Pakistan treading on the right path, at last. has thrown up a point of discussion for Reinstated skipper Mahela the selectors when they settle on the final Jayawardene and the think tank 16-man squad. has got the formula right. Whether One innings in a match clear- it is Test cricket, ODIs or the T–20 ly does not earn a Test place but Flower ited overs ver- version, what is of paramount believes skills are transferable across the sion of the game, importance is to get the formula formats. Bairstow had a low-key Lions which was also right. One can have the best playing tour to the subcontinent this winter with a manifest in the XI, but unless it is the right formu- highest score of 50 from 10 innings but he . la, things could go awry. has at least had exposure to the conditions His shifting to the top of Look at what is happening to and his talent has been recognised by the order has made a world of India today,one of the best batting England for some time. difference to the team’s perform- sides in world cricket. Only Kevin Pietersen has taken the ances. He is batting with confi- All-rounder Sri Lanka had the same scenario. One attack to the slow bowlers on this tour in dence. Most batsmen like the ball to Angelo Mathews does not need to revisit the Dilshan cap- the way Bairstow did on Saturday. come on to the bat and this is where taincy,all over, now. One has to pay tribute After coming to the crease when has been he is effective with his changed tech- to the Sri Lankan cricket team now, which Morgan was dismissed at 49 for three, compared to nique and improvisation, in contrast to is performing incredibly well, despite all Bairstow showed some strong wristy . Indian skipper the home problems and the extra baggage stroke play and was keen to dominate at Another factor that should not go M. S. Dhoni, by that they had to carry. Batting sensation the crease, advancing to and unnoticed is the fortitude that he has One of the greatest hallmarks that hitting him through wide long off with a some TV given Dinesh Chandimal, the latter tak- skipper Jayawardene did was to get the disrespect for a reputation few England commentators ing the former’s position at Number 4. team composed, working side by side with players have shown on this trip. So, psychologically,that would have new coach Graham Ford, to ensure that The selectors will include seven bats- impacted Dinesh Chandimal, who, with all have fired a and Sri Lanka would the boys enjoyed fielding. One would have men in the squad for Sri Lanka with Ravi due respect to his natural ability,should be have lost the game. Malinga’s delivery was noticed Thisara Perera, very ordinary in Bopara certain to travel after an accept- thankful that he has a batting coach in well outside the off stump, giving Dhoni his fielding in the not too distant past, able tour to the Middle East. , himself no mug with the room to improvise. The game was salvaged being spoken of at international level It is just whether Morgan has enough bat. into a tie thanks to the brilliant fielding of today,as a fantastic fielder. credit in reserve to resist any late chal- Atapattu has put Chandimal’s technique Sachitra Senanayake, who came up with a One does not need to be a rocket scien- lenge from Bairstow. right and he is playing through the line. valiant effort, at deep mid off. tist to say that Thillekeratne Dilshan is “A young guy like Jonny Bairstow has He is much more composed in his stroke- But all credit to the Sri Lankans who one of the best fielders at backward of shown that he has learnt from the first T20 play,close to his body,looking the sort of beat the mighty Aussies, two games on the point. Slip catching has been excellent game and showed a slightly different player who will score big. trot. The Lankans kept up the run rate, and Mahela Jayawardene has been out- method against Umar Gul and against the Sangakkara at Number three is all ahead of the Aussies. Mahela’s 80 and standing there. For the record, the combi- spin,” said Flower. right. And it is , after Chandimal’s 85 deserved all the accolades, nation of Mahela with Muttiah “Those are good signs for me as a coach Chandimal. Concerns were plenty about but if the latter was determined to bat till Muralitheran of yesteryear has also been to see.” One change for England will be to his technique, his back-lift being towards the end, it might not have been so tight. exceptional, where there were no less than find a replacement for Chris Tremlett, a third man or gully. Sri Lanka has all the ingredients to 77 instances of caught Jayawardene, member of the original Test squad here Marvan has quite correctly tightened enter the finals with improvements in all bowled Muralitheran. recovering from back surgery and unavail- his back-lift and he is playing close to his departments of the game. But more Angelo Mathews has also improved in able until April. With England likely to body.It was refreshing to hear Indian tele- importantly,Mahela has got the team to that cordon. If one notices Angelo’s eye take three spinners on a tour where slow vision commentator Sanjay Manjrekar say- gell, earning all the accolades of the tele- level, when he takes the catches, it is per- bowling will be key in the two Tests, Samit ing that Thirimanne seems to be adopting vision commentators who described him fect. Things are now falling into place Patel could make his first Test trip. the technique of ! as one of the best skippers in world crick- and all credit to Ford. (C) The Telegraph Group, Maybe Lahiru is living up to that comment. et today. , 2012

seven games and here it’s coming down million) takeover. has since been questioned as the club’s to 30 minutes of overtime and these At the time, the 18-time English cham- progress stalled and he initially backed penalty kicks, which were extraordi- pions had plunged from Premier League striker Luis Suarez, who received an nary,” Henry said. “This is the first step title contenders to relegation battlers. eight-match ban for racially abusing an Liverpool owner for this club in moving in the direction The decline was halted by bringing opponent in October. that we hoped we would move.” Kenny Dalglish back as manager 13 “There was a lot of pressure on Kenny Henry’s Fenway Sports Group had go months ago, 20 years after his trophy- today and we are relieved for him,” chair- John Henry to through a trans-Atlantic court battle to laden spell in the dugout ended after a man Tom Werner told a small group of force fellow owners Hicks and Gillett to similarly successful Anfield playing reporters alongside Henry. “I think the relinquish control of the heavily indebt- career. expectations were so high and it is a just ed club in a 300-million pound (then $476- But the 60-year-old Scot’s judgment wonderful day for him, and we gave him celebrates first trophy a big hug because he really deserves the credit. “I think that now we can move on. We BY ROB HARRIS proud,” Henry said. “They have been have a match next weekend against Stoke through so much, so many things off the and our goal is still to make the WEMBLEY, England (AP) — On his field that to win silverware for the first Champions League.” 500th day as Liverpool owner, American time in six years — and they are used to The five-time European champions sports tycoon John Henry finally had a certain kind of excellence — to see that have not been in the lucrative Champions cause to celebrate. start to emerge again ... is just great. League since 2009 and are currently sev- English football’s most decorated club, “After all these years of ... things off enth in the Premier League, seven points which Henry rescued from the brink of the field, we are making progress and behind Arsenal in the fourth and final bankruptcy, ended six barren years with- finally starting to talk about what is qualification place. out a trophy by beating Cardiff in the going on on the field in a positive way.” But ending the six-year wait for a tro- League Cup final Sunday at Wembley phy will help the club attract the type of Stadium. Liverpool’s first trophy since the 2006 players who can put Liverpool back Not only is the triumph important for FA Cup followed a 3-2 victory in a penalty among the elite of English football. raising spirits at a club that has been a shootout over second-tier club Cardiff “It’s about silverware,” Henry said. bystander to the domination of after the teams were locked at 2-2 at the “So it will help us build on every level Manchester United and Chelsea in recent end of extra time. and it’s what our players and our fans years, it finally casts Liverpool in a posi- For Henry, nothing has been as nerve- expect. It’s just a first step.” tive light following the racism scandal racking in sport as those spot kicks at the The only disappointment is that the that engulfed Anfield, having only just end of the 120 minutes, certainly not victory parade will have to wait for some recovered from the bitter court battle either of the two World Series victories time, with much of the squad immediate- that saw Henry oust fellow Americans — both four-game sweeps — he has expe- ly going on international duty Sunday Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. in Oct. rienced as the owner of baseball’s Boston Liverpool’s manager Kenny Dalglish, center, chairman Tom Werner, left, and owner John W. night. 2010. Red Sox for 10 years and counting. Henry celebrate after defeating Cardiff City, to win the English League Cup in the final soc- “We’ll have our own party tonight,” “We are just so happy for the support- “It’s completely different (to the U.S.) Werner said before exiting Wembley with ers, they are so happy and we are so because the World Series is the best of cer match at Wembley Stadium, in London, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Tim Hales) Henry.

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