Divine intervention is Sri Lanka’s only hope of saving themselves from many blushes. Australia sits in wait for a historic Lanka thrashing in Galle. – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Nightmares have a unscripted way of delivering itself as the drama at Galle revealed for Sri Lanka cricket, when Australia rubbed their dominance into the dust at Galle International Stadium after a run fest that is likely to remain unparalleled.
Total disdain from Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and debutante Josh Inglis who smashed the Sri Lankan attack into submission in what the home team will have nightmarish memories of after this ordeal is done and dusted.
It was more a one day approach than a Test match, as Khawaja 232 off 252 balls, skopper Steve Smith 142 off 251 deliveries, Inglis 102 off 94 balls, Travis Head 57 off 40 balls and Alex Carey 46 off 69 balls reduced Sri Lanka’s bowling to a shambles.
Prabath Jayasuriya and Jeffrey Vandersay toiled in vain against a ferocious Australian onslaught, bowling 98 overs between them to grab three wickets each.
Records tumbled as a rampant Australia, matching the surrounding wonder of the ancient Dutch Ramparts, made what was perceived to be a closely fought contest into a national embarrassment, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers took a pummelling in a venue they have been consistently superior.
Australia’s batters showed scant respect for the home team’s attack which was inocous and lacked their usual variation. They used their feet to spray the bowlers to all parts while racing to the highest total ever in Galle beating Sri Lanka’s best not so long ago by a fair margin.
A hurricane 654 for 6 stands as the best score in Galle ever, and Sri Lanka’s pathetic 136 for 5 in reply underlined the difference between the two teams.
A fighting knock of 68 not out by veteran Dinesh Chandimal and Sri Lanka’s last hope in Kusal Mendis left Sri Lanka 518 in arrears with two days to go. If they continue to bat like they have upto now, a crumbling wicket does not guarantee it will progress to far on day five.
Lack of home ground dominance in this instance, was instead a death dive of cricket in a country that previously was revered for their exceptional talent.
A rain interrupted third day gave the home team a glimmer of hope of getting away with a face saving draw as early unseasonal monsoonal rain curtailed play. But Sri Lanka’s batters have shown they are far from competing with an allround dominant Australia.
Right now, divine intervention in the form of an out of character and unusual weather pattern in Galle, is Sri Lanka’s only hope of scrambling to a face saving draw. They certainly are travelling in a wing and a prayer.
Since Englishman Chris Silverwood, Sri Lanka’s former coach departed the shores of the emerald Isle, Sanath Jayasuriya was perceived to be the saviour of a nation struggling to regain their glory days of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Chaminda Vaas, Muralitharan, Rangana Herath and himself among a few others.
But that early indication has quickly dissipated to, back to mediocre, in the blink of an eye.
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Where then, does the revival of Sri Lanka cricket lie?
The answer, as the famous lyrics of a legendary song said, “is blowing in the wind”.
A pragmatic analysis suggests that Sri Lanka have lost their way mainly due to the administrative bungling of the past. Those were mostly due to political influence and meddling that destroyed a previous strategy and commitment that was purely aimed at the welfare of a game they were gifted with.
Sri Lanka’s die hard fans who number millions at home and worldwide, are at a quandary as to where the future of the game lies.
There’s definitely no lack of talent. Just finding that re-adjust button, that delivers a killer instinct team, similar to the likes of Australia, South Africa, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan who are an example worthy of following.
Public perception is rising to a crescendo that the “Dads Army” solution for a quick fix is definitely not the answer to Sri Lanka’s woes as the vacuum left after it puts them back to square one. The heroes of the past have to be made redundant as the top nations do, and the future, if it’s in transition, has to be the path going forward.
The embarrassment cannot be be endured or be worse than where it currently is.
Living a charmed life, Australia let Sri Lanka learn that missed opportunities have dire consequences.
Sri Lanka’s bad fielding showed up like a sore thumb for its embarrassing mishaps that contributed to their current predicament.
This Test is surely done and dusted, it was from day one. If Sri Lanka do take it to day four, it will band aid the pain. But it will not make or do nothing to alleviate their sorry position as a worthy opponent.
Let’s throw out the challenge to the home team and dare them to prove they are worthy of their fifth place on the World Test Championship table. That, at this stage, looks more and more improbable after the first innings effort than the opposite.
