Sriraj and India scuttle hapless Sri Lanka to grab Asia Cup – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (Elanka Sports Editor)
Sri Lanka went from heroes to zero in just over 15 overs as India gave them a thrashing in the Asia Cup final they can Never forget.
Just days after relegating world number one ranked Pakistan to the sidelines in a heart stopper, Sri Lanka just rolled over and let themselves be humiliated in front of a packed home crowd, and an entire population, losing without a whimper.
Excuses about winning the toss in overcast conditions and electing to bat does little to convince me that there is more to it than meets the eye. It would be vindicated if they were without a coaching staff who do not give advice on these matters before the toss.
Yes, India were favourites to win it with a highly skilled and far superior line-up allround. But Sri Lanka had home ground advantage and plenty of support at Colombo’s stadium. It obviously counted for nothing.
Just days before, Sri Lanka’s depleted bowling contained the mighty Indian batting to just 213 within their allotment. Then the batting let them down in an achievable pursuit.
Bangladesh, who were beaten easily by Sri Lanka then showed the competition how it can be done by rolling the Indians. Nothing of that seems to have been transmitted to the following Sri Lankans. They were Lion’s turned to lambs.
They can however, hang their hat on making it to the final against all odds.
Mohammed Siraj brutally ripped through Sri Lanka’s brittle batting with superb control to return stunning figures of 7-1-21-6 and together with Hardik Pandiya 3 for 3 in 2.2 overs and Jasprit Bumrah 1 for 23, routed the home side for 50 in just over 15 overs.
Kusal Janith Perera was inserted into the team for Dimuth Karunaratne but failed in successive games to give Sri Lanka another inauspicious start.
From 1 for 1 in the third ball, they suffered successive blows to 4 for 8 and then the killer blow of 6 for 12. Five ducks made for Duck season in Sri Lanka. Only two players made double figures.
While the Indian quicks demolished Sri Lanka, the contrast was the exact opposite when cock-a-hoop Indian openers smashed Sri Lanka’s fast men to all parts albeit chasing an underwhelming target. They achieved victory off only 6.1 overs. Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers went for 10.5 runs an over in the savage run chase.
Sri Lanka’s batting procession was a disconcerting spectacle with the World Cup in India just around the corner.
Heads must roll after the World Cup if this form slump continues. It has been too little for too long. And that includes administration.
Hopefully the injured stars can return in time for this important assignment. Sri Lanka sorely missed the services of strike bowlers Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva and Maheesh Theeksheena in the final. The injection of experience in Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Matthews should bolster the line-up to reasonable expectations.
Words fail me to explain the diabolical yet unfathomable form swing of Sri Lanka cricket. If winning is all that matters, that’s absolutely unreasonable.
But that performance which will be etched in the minds of Sri Lanka’s one eyed fans, will always cry out for answers to an obviously no Plan B strategy, which led to this debacle, or deeper investigation into what ails Sri Lanka Cricket.
