Sri Lanka, like their fellow World Cup finalists, find themselves tumbling down a seemingly endless abyss. And like with India, the big question is whether Sri Lanka are doing anything to arrest their descent. The Durban Test suggested a revival, but in reality that win was down to a magnificent exhibition of in-the-trenches grit from Thilan Samaraweera, and an equally large-hearted effort from Rangana Herath. Sri Lanka responded by leaving Samaraweera out of the ODI squad, and Herath out of the starting XI for Paarl. Their presence may not have altered the result in that game, but nonetheless they were missed.
There’s only one way Sri Lanka can go from 43 all out, but a revival will require application from the big three at the top. Tillakaratne Dilshan has been the biggest culprit, attempting million-dollar strokes too early, and falling for single-digit scores five times in seven innings so far on the tour. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, between them, have managed just one century in 14 efforts. Even that would not have transpired had Mark Boucher not dropped a regulation catch from Sangakkara early in his second-innings effort in Durban. Sri Lanka’s attack will be desperate for their batsmen to turn the corner in East London, where the conditions are expected to be similar to Paarl’s.
Everything South Africa tried worked in the first one-dayer. The batting clicked in unison to leave the Sri Lankan attack with figures much worse than they deserved. AB de Villiers attempted radical 7-2 fields, only for his bowlers to back him up and the Sri Lanka batsmen to play into his hands. At some point in his tenure, de Villiers will be confronted by tougher circumstances, and given the capricious nature of the one-day format, it could happen in the very next game. Source
Posts
