“The danger of players who play all formats of cricket is that they tend to bring the white ball version of cricket to the red ball game”
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
That Sri Lanka are gradually finding their feet once again in Test cricket under the guidance of former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten as head coach was witnessed during the recently concluded 2-Test series against India.
To go into the series against India without two of their top batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis (both injured) and then on top of that to lose their most experienced batter after the first innings of the first Test Dinesh Chandimal also with an injury, the Sri Lankan team of the recent past would have folded up tamely and handed the series to India 2-0 without a fight.
But this team under Kirsten is developing into a unit that is going to fight every inch to achieve what they want. One of the standout features of the series was how the tail enders batted with pluck supporting the batsman at the other end and not allowing the opposition to dictate terms to them.
“If you take the lower order batters like Lahiru Kumara, he batted 150 balls in this Test match. I would say to the guys – you are not here as a batter or a bowler in the team, you are a player and you have to bat,” said Kirsten summarizing the series.
“We had our bowlers practice batting a lot. I thought it was going to be a tough ask today (5th day of the SSC Test), but that partnership in the first session (between Sonal Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha) set it up for us. To be honest, I didn’t know that Kesh could bat that well and for that long. He batted beautifully, had good technique, played the short ball well, played spin well, did everything that he needed to do. Very encouraging. I was particularly impressed with him. Coming in like a new player and batting at no. 8, he batted like a champion. He showed that he is not only a high potential spinner but he can bat as well.”
Nuwantha helped Dinusha add 112 for the seventh wicket with his contribution being 46 off 150 balls.
Sri Lanka began the fifth and final day with only four second innings wickets in hand and only 16 runs in front. Dinusha was the only recognized batsman left and batting with him was the tail. But what a rearguard effort they put up to deny India a win, batting virtually for the entire length of the final day and consuming 81.2 overs delivered by the Indian bowlers and losing just three wickets.
“I was really impressed with some of the young batters who have shown their mettle in Test match cricket. Sonal Dinusha in his fifth Test and (Pasindu) Sooriybandara on debut, it was nice to see them take the opportunity under pressure and make a performance. That’s a real positive,” said Kirsten.
For Dinusha, the series was a personal triumph for him with scores of 100, 84, 103 and 133* putting him in the elite class of past Sri Lankan greats like Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara who have done so before him by scoring three hundred’s in a 2-Test series.
“It’s never easy batting at 6 when your team is under pressure. What encouraged me when I watched him (Dinusha) in the West Indies is that he thrives in tough situations. First time I watched him bat properly was in the first innings in the West Indies. He came in at 7 when we were 110-5 and he put on a 100 with the captain. I thought this guy can play,” said Kirsten.
“Then in the second match he got 92. I love the way he plays Test cricket. He thinks about it, he plays to his strengths and he is a smart cricketer. He understands what the bowlers are trying to do to him and he uses his skill sets to negate that. This innings today and yesterday he was able to achieve I would say, would go down in Sri Lanka Test history as one of the great saves. Forget about the fact that he got a 100 in the first innings as well. It was a great example to a lot of cricketers in the country as to what you can do at Test match level against a really good bowling attack. Following-on in a tough situation and to save the game for his country was great to watch.”
Looking ahead at what needs to be done, Kirsten said, “Not winning Test matches is a concern. We need to work out where we can get 20 wickets. That is certainly a work in progress. In this series there was no Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal, but three very inexperienced youngsters came in and performed. I am very excited about that. I thought Keshara showed what he can do as an off-spinner, Asitha Fernando did a great job but we’ve got work to do in getting 20 wickets. Asitha is a world class bowler. He showed it in the second Test in the West Indies where he is to be. First Test he wasn’t really quite up there. Second Test he really fired up and in this series he’s been at the top of his game. He needs more assistance. It is certainly an area in the Test side where we are going to spend a lot of time, how we are going to take 20 wickets not just relying on spin but on seam as well.”
“On the batting side I got to get the batsmen thinking like Test match batsmen, probably losing too many wickets at wrong times. But we have shown great charisma and courage when we have been under pressure. The danger of players who play all formats of cricket is that they tend to bring the white ball version of cricket to the red ball game. We want the players to play Test match innings. Test match cricket is a very unique way of playing. You just don’t come in and in difficult conditions play in one way, you’ve got to play a whole five days.”
Kirsten was full of praise for the two wickets that were prepared for the Test matches played at Galle and at the SSC.
“I am a big fan that we don’t prepare wickets just for spinners but wickets that help our seamers as well. That’s how you develop a cricket team to play in all conditions. I was very impressed with the two wickets that were prepared for the Test series; they were hard-working Test wickets not straight away result wickets. We want our batters to be able to bat. Spinners have to work hard and seamers are in the game. In the second innings at Galle our seamers got seven of the ten wickets. Very encouraging our seamers are in the game. Want to develop that more.”
