“Sri Lanka 2010 – A tough, tough tour for the West Indies”

Nov 14, 2010 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
Tomorrow, (Monday) West Indies and Sri Lanka start a Test series that could make or break either team.  Especially for the inexperienced Windies, this tour to Sri Lanka could be very tough, as has been so in the last two WI tours made to this splendid country.
Timing and co-incidence are everything.  Last week, Brian Lara came back into the ‘active’ cricket lexicon, signing a T-20 contract in Zimbabwe, probably with the new Indian Premier League 2011 franchises in mind.
No-one can speak about recent West Indies tours to Sri Lanka without reminiscing, and drooling, for Lara’s batting, especially in 2001, when Carl Hooper was captain.  If you ever see tapes of Lara batting in that series, buy, beg, or even steal them!
I have seen all of Lara’s batting efforts around the world.  Despite his performances in England, Australia and West Indies, he was absolutely superlative in Sri Lanka in 2001.  It was one of my greatest cricketing experiences to cover that series.  It was the very best of batsmanship that I have ever seen in a complete Test series, period!
For the record, in the 2001 Tests, Lara’s scores were 178 and 40 – Test No. 1 (Galle); 74 and 48 – Test No. 2 (Kandy); and 221 and 130 – 3rd Test at SSC, (Colombo); total – 688 runs; average 114.66.
The next nearest West Indian batsman was Ramnaresh Sarwan; 318 runs; 53.00 average.
While 1006 runs were scored between Lara and Sarwan, no-one else could counter the mesmerizing skills of off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and left-arm speedster Chaminda Vaas.  They snared 50 of the 60 West Indies wickets to fall in three Tests!
The series was not even close, West Indies losing the series badly, and easily; 3-0; by 10 wickets, 131 runs, and then 10 wickets, respectively.  Vaas and Murali, like Lara, were at the very top of their game!  The Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya was on cloud nine!
In 2005, I was again fortunate to be in Sri Lanka to cover the cricket, but by then, West Indies cricket was in terrible turmoil, at its very nadir, that greatest point of despair.  So much so, that the West Indies team was captained then by the extremely reluctant Shivnarine Chanderpaul, courtesy of one of the several players-v-WICB pitched battles.
The team included such low-lights as Kerry Jeremy, Deighton Butler, Sylvester Joseph and Dwayne Smith.  Mercifully, there were only two Tests, West Indies losing both easily; by 6 wickets and 240 runs.  Marvin Attapatu, Sri Lanka’s captain, enjoyed the spoils, again with the considerable help of Vass, Murali, and Lasith Malinga.
In Test No. 1, Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin made Test debuts, while in No. 2, Ryan Ramdass, (remember him?  I do not), made his.  Without Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara there, West Indies were always on to a severe beating.  That entire series was quite surreal, very strange indeed!
For the 3rd time in the 1st decade this new millennium, West Indies are back in Sri Lanka.  The new captain, Darren Sammy, talks a good game, but must know that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  His team has much to do to re-instate West Indies cricket!
All have had ideas, and the recriminations and suggestions have flowed like floods around the Caribbean, as to the whys and wherefores of this touring team’s selectees.  That does not matter anymore.  West Indies must now put up, or, simply, shut up!
Vaas and Murali are retired from Tests, while Malinga is rested, as he has had a long, tough year of bowling, but that does not mean that West Indies would be any less under the gun.
The Lankans have ready replacements, and its batting line-up has matured and improved.  There will have to be extraordinary efforts from West Indies to dismiss Sri Lanka twice in any five-day period.
Kumar Sangakkara, now 33, has a wealth of knowledge, and runs too; 8,016 – avg. 56.85 – from 91 Tests.  His less than cagey captaincy has sometimes irked his predecessors, but he keeps winning, so no-one can complain.
Sri Lanka is rated No. 3 in Tests; 115 ranking points; behind South Africa; 119, some ways from No. 1, India; 130.  West Indies is rated No. 7; 79 ranking points; just ahead of New Zealand; 78; just behind Pakistan; 83.
Sri Lanka’s success has been because this highly talented, intelligent left-hander, “Sanga”, produces consistently.  How he does that, and be wicket-keeper, is miraculous.
It is left to be seen if Prasana Jayawardene would be selected as the specialist wicket-keeper, but with Murali and Malinga missing, Sri Lanka may need an extra bowler.
The classy Mahela Jayawardene, also 33, vice-captain, has gone off the boil somewhat, but his 9,408 runs – 113 Tests, avg. 54.06 – speak volumes for his longevity.
The exciting Tillikeratne Dilshan does not play like a 34 year old, but has another chance to continue his cementation of position.  In 63 Tests, he has 3906 runs, avg. 43.40.
Now that Marvan Attapatu and Sanath Jayasuriya are gone, more responsibility has been placed on Thilan Samaraweera, another 34 year old.  He has produced well – 4244 runs, 60 Tests, avg. 53.72.
If these four alone bat well, the home team could make 600 runs regularly.  Except for Dilshan – highest score 168 – each of the others has at least one 200 innings – Jayawardene’s highest score is 374!
To me, the most exciting present Sri Lankan cricketer is the lithe all-rounder Angelo Matthews. At 23, he has played only 10 Tests, but his aggression, commitment and attitude can take him very far indeed.  He reminds me of a young Kapil Dev, India’s hero.
Left-handed opener Tharanga Paranavitana has only 13 Tests, but has already scored two centuries, and will probably open the innings with Dilshan.
In Murali’s last Test, when Sri Lanka beat India, at Galle, Test No. 1’s venue, Paranavitana scored 111 and 23 no.  He is as talented as he is obdurate, never giving his wicket away.
Sri Lanka’s bowling could be interesting.  In the Tests against India last July, Murali and Malinga bowled well.  Both are now missing, and so is left-armer Chanaka Welegadara.  Angelo Matthews is still there, but there is room for at least three, probably four bowlers.
The tall Dilhara Fernando; 34 Tests, 89 wickets; avg. 35.82; can feature.  So too can Rangana Herath, the consistent left-arm spinner.
Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner who confused and bowled the West Indies captain, Darren Sammy with a one-of-a-kind delivery when Sri Lanka last toured the West Indies, will probably play.  It might be a choice between him, left-arm medium fast Thilan Thushara or off-spinner Suraj Randiv; a very interesting, varied bowling attack indeed.
Pitches at Galle normally help spinners much.  Just ask Murali, so WI 1st Test XI should not differ much from Chris Gayle, Adrian Barrath, Darren Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, Brendan Nash, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Carlton Baugh, Kemar Roach, Sulleiman Benn and Shane Shillingford.  Devon Smith and Andre Russell could play instead of Darren Bravo and Shillingford.
It can be a difficult, extremely intriguing task, and a learning one too, for West Indies!

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