After an inconsistent 2005, Sri Lanka have rebounded with fresh purpose and growing confidence
Charlie Austin01-Jan-2007
Sanath Jayasuriya was central to Sri Lanka’s turnaround, but wasn’t a one-man band © Getty Images
Inflation may be spiralling upwards, the Sri Lankan rupee might be plungingin value, war clouds are clinging to the horizon, but at least there issomething to cheer as the New Year dawns: the Sri Lankan cricket team’sreturn to good health. After an inconsistent 2005, the senior team hasrebounded with fresh purpose and growing confidence. It has not been anunblemished year by any means, but the prospects for the future arelooking far brighter than they did 12 months ago.In terms of bare statistics, it was Sri Lanka’s busiest ever year interms of international commitments: 36 ODIs, 11 Tests and three Twenty20slogfests. The win ratio for the one-day team was a decent 56%, while inTests their record was second only to Australia with six victories andjust three defeats in 11 matches. However, the real bonus is thefighting spirit shown in tough situations, the flair with which the sidehas played and the flourishing of young talent.It all started where it ended: in New Zealand. It was not an auspiciousstart either, as Sri Lanka limped into the VB Series with Australia andSouth Africa after a 4-1 defeat. The team bounced back fromtheir opening defeat against Australia in Melbourne with back-to-backvictories at Brisbane and Sydney.At the centre of this turnaround was Sanath Jayasuriya, whose woefulTest record during the year – 211 runs at 17.58 withjust one fifty in 12 innings – was offset by his ODI form: 1153 runs at 48.04, his best ever year. There were five centuries in all, including an astonishing 152 in 99 balls at Headingley.The other members of Sri Lanka’s topfour – Upul Tharanga (1062 runs at 44.25), Kumar Sangakkara (1333 runsat 44.43) and Mahela Jayawardene (1185 runs at 40.86) – were also prolific and this solidity and consistency at the top of the order was the highlight of the ODI team.And the first signs of this emergedduring that hard-fought VB Series campaign. Australia eventually won but Sri Lanka pushed them hard in the three-match finals, shocking the hosts with victory in the first game.However, more inconsistency followed against Bangladesh, who stole amaiden victory, and Pakistan, who clinched a home ODI series 2-0 and theTest series 1-0. Behind the scenes, though, important changes wereslowly taking place, including the acceptance of a new training culture,the fast development of playing and mental skills, improved fitness and, importantly, a shake-up of the team’s leadership following the deterioration of Marvan Atapattu’schronic back condition.While there were rumours that Atapattu would be retiring from Testcricket after the England tour, he had been expected to lead the teamuntil the World Cup. But Atapattu first pulled out of the Bangladeshtour and then realised he needed surgery after a failed comeback bid forthe Pakistan tour. There was much debate over who his successor wouldbe, with Sangakkara, Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas all potential interim options, but the selectors eventually plumped for Jayawardene, the man they’d sacked as vice-captain just three months before.It proved to be one of the most significant events of the year for two reasons: It galvanised Jayawardene as a top-order batsman, lifting his performancesin both forms of the game to a higher plane, and helpedusher in a more aggressive approach. After six years of steady,reactive, often defensive leadership since the departure of ArjunaRanatunga, Jayawardene and Moody opened the door to a more attackingbrand of cricket.The impact of Jayawardene was more overt – innovative field placements,bold selections, naked emotion on the field – but it also becameincreasingly clear that Moody was providing strong leadership withassistance from a top-class management team. Moody’s success has beenbuilt upon fundamental management basics: hard work, crystal-clearcommunication, the introduction of strong structures, the hiring ofquality support staff and the successful adoption of a new team culturethat fights against complacency.The fruits of their dual impact first became evident during Sri Lanka’s tour of England. On paper, without Atapattu and Jayasuriya (before he reversed his decisionto retire from Test cricket) as openers, Sri Lanka were ill-equipped todeal with England’s pace attack on early-summer pitches. Theirinexperience, especially in the batting department, left them clearunderdogs. The pre-series practice matches did nothing to dispel thistheory either and their prospects at Lord’s looked bleak.It looked even bleaker two-and-a-half days into the game as Englandenforced the follow-on with Sri Lanka still 359 runs in arrears.Remarkably, though, Sri Lanka escaped. Not due to wet weather, as onemight have assumed, but because of one the most spirited second-inningsrearguards in the game’s history. Jayawardene was the star, followinghis first-innings 61 with a six-hour 119, but not the solo performer. Noless than six other players passed fifty, first frustrating and thenridiculing a complacent English attack. By batting 199 overs for their 537 for 9, the team’s collective self-belief soared.
Muttiah Muralitharan produced his most memorable performance of the year at Trent Bridge © Getty Images
The rest of the year all followed from their defiance at Lord’s. Thesecond Test at Edgbaston was lost but Sri Lanka remained in the contestuntil the final day. Then at Trent Bridge, on a pitch tailored for hiswiles, Muttiah Muralitharan produced his most memorable performance ofthe year. England were set a 325-run target after more resilience from SriLanka’s tail and Muralitharan unleashed a mesmerizing spell, slowly but surely pickinghis way through the top, middle and lower order. He claimed the firstseven wickets to fall and finished with 8 for 70, as Sri Lanka won by134 runs.Sri Lankan Test victories outside of Asia are such a rare thing that itwas rightly considered a brilliant achievement to level the three-matchseries 1-1. But their 5-0 whitewash in the five-match ODI series thatfollowed was perhaps an even greater achievement. Again, they started asunderdogs, expected to wilt in the conditions. Far from wilting, they exploded, ruthlessly attacking the weaklinks in England’s bowling attack with a ferocity that allowed themto build-up an unstoppable momentum.It all started in the lead-up to the series when the team management,senior players and the chairman of selectors agreed that the time hadcome for a change. There was concern that Sri Lanka’s one-day cricket had become increasingly predictable and one-dimensional. The most common approach was to sit back and wait for their opponents to slip up, a reactive style that brought mixed success.Now it was agreed that Sri Lanka must be more flexible and aggressive. Crucially, theyreturned to their attacking roots, backing their natural flair to make maximum use of PowerPlays.This new strategy worked with calculated risk-taking reapinghuge dividends. Those risks included a free licence to attack for thetop three – Jayasuriya, Tharanga and Jayawardene, who was pushed up fromthe middle order. The bowling also developed with Lasith Malinga,previously considered a Test specialist, drafted into a five-man attack.It added an extra dimension to the team, especially at the tailend ofthe innings when his yorkers were lethal.Sri Lanka’s confidence sky-rocketed after the England tour and theycarried this into their two-Test series against South Africa, winningboth matches. The first was a glorious run-fest at the Sinhalese SportsClub with Jayawardene scoring 375 and sharing a world record stand of624, the highest-ever partnership in Test and first-class cricket.In the second Test Sri Lanka, marshalled again by Jayawardene who score a superb 123, chased a record 352 for victory. The batsman claimed most of the headlines butMuralitharan (who claimed 90 wickets in 11 Test matches during the year)was also continuing to play a hugely influential role as he equalled hisown world record for four consecutive ten-wicket hauls.The return of terrorism to Colombo ruined the tri-series with SouthAfrica and India that was to follow and the team’s next assignment wasthe Champions Trophy, a tournament they had to pre-qualify for. However, despite playing some quality cricket, they failed to qualify for the semi-finals after surprise defeats to Pakistan and South Africa.The New Zealand tour provided a good opportunity to pick up the piecesand see just how far the team had improved during the year. The firstTest proved a bitter disappointment as only Sangakkara – playing now as only a specialist batsman in Test cricket – provided substantial resistance. However, like they did inEngland, there were able to show great character with a series-levellingwin in Wellington, the highlight of which was the Aravinda-like battingof Chamara Silva, who followed a pair on debut with 61 and 152 not outat the Basin Reserve that propelled Sri Lanka into a winning position.
Silva lining: Chamara was the discovery of the year © Getty Images
Silva, now 27, was the discovery of the year, a player who hadlanguished in the wilderness for too long after making his one-dayinternational debut way back in 1999. Spotted by Moody, who had by nowdeveloped a decent working relationship with Ashantha de Mel’s selectioncommittee, he looks a fine prospect. The other youngsters to reallyshine were Upul Tharanga (five ODI hundreds in the year) and Malinga,who added an extra yard of pace, greater control and variation to hisunique armoury.New man on the blockUndoubtedly Chamara Silva. A real Christmas present for Sri Lanka.Showed no signs of nerves against New Zealand at the end of the year,refusing to change his naturally aggressive approach after a pair in thefirst Test. Helped Sangakkara rebuild the first innings in Wellingtonand then took centre stage in the second innings with a magnificent 152.Sri Lanka’s one major area of concern in the year was the inconsistencyof the middle order and Silva looks like a perfect solution.Fading starThilan Samaraweera, a regular in the Test team in 2004 and 2005, driftedout of the Test squad and back into the A team following a disappointingEngland tour. Now aged 29, his future is uncertain following theemergence of Chamara Silva and Chamara Kapugedera. He still has a decentTest average after 39 games, but the large disparity between his homeand away record (he averages 56 at home and 26 overseas) counted againsthim.High pointThe Lord’s rearguard was the turning point but the final match of theODI series against England was a special day. Having set a stiff 322 runtarget, England finally thought their one-day drought was over. ButJayasuriya and Tharanga responded with a glorious opening partnership,scoring 286 in just 31.5 overs. Jayasuriya flayed 152 from 99 balls andTharanga109 from 104. Sri Lanka sealed an historic 5-0 whitewash with anincredible 12.3 overs to spare.Low pointSri Lanka’s 78 run defeat to South Africa in the Champions Trophy. SriLanka were one of the tournament favourites and had been expected toqualify for the semi-finals based on their recent form. But underlights in Ahmedabad their top order was blown away by high quality fastbowling from Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Andrew Nel.What does 2007 hold?Continued success. With a good blend of youth and experience, awell-balanced team, a strong management team and a harmonious dressingroom, Sri Lanka should be one of the main challengers in the World Cup.The biggest concern will be whether they will be able to retain theservices of Tom Moody who is likely to be on the shopping list ofseveral richer nations immediately after the World Cup.