By Srian Obeyesekere
Pakistan dented Sri Lanka by a walk in the park handsome 6 wicket triumph to go 1 up in the 3-match T20 series having bundled out the host team for 128 in a poor display that hugely exposed the Lankans batting in the own backyard the fragile stop start uncertain nature that has been a continuing rock bottoming bane to the country’s cricketing image from a once glorious past following yesterday’s bad defeat at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.
While the result boosted Pakistan’s image under Salman Agha’s leadership from a similar bad past shake up, for the Sri Lankans yesterday’s defeat must serve as a clear message to the coaching expertise headed by Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya for urgent remedial action with February’s big show T20 World Cup round the corner.
Batting first and skidding to 4 for 38 after 6.5 overs in a debacle where only No 6 Janith Liyanage came good with the bat with a top score of 40 off 31 balls with 2 boundaries and a six in a conspicuous feature of being Sri Lanka’s only consistent batsman in the white ball format and that too as a player very much junior to several much more experienced senior batters in the ranks in underscoring the fact of sheer commitment and will in contrast to the rest and that something is wrong somewhere.
The other retarding factor was the backseat role of skipper Dasun Shanaka whose coming in as late as No 8 was a too late after the horses had bolted from the stables by failure to assert his authority to lead from the front pointedly not putting to use his pinch hitting prowess he is reputed for by taking strike up the order to setting the tone.
As it was Pakistan’s pace-spin bowling attack of Salman Mirza 3 for 18, Mohammad Wasim 2 for 7, Shadab Khan 2 for 25 the ultimate Player of the Match for his score of 18 though on paper Mirza’s upfront 3 wicket strike meant he was the unlucky match winner to have gone unrewarded.
Pakistan’s chase was flawless in upfront openers Sahibzada Farhan’s 36 ball 51 rung in 4 boundaries and 2 over the top and Saim Ayub’s 24 off 18 in a 59 first wicket flurry and 2 for 94:into 10.2 overs with the Lankan frontline bowlers understandably left with an inadequate reserve to defend as Agha 16 lent to that victory thrust.
The four wickets shared though did see Chameera and Theekshana expensive 34 and 31 respectively off 4 overs with stock bowler Dhananjaya de Silva who did not make the mark with the bat in a recall from several years discarded, by his 1 for 4 reappeared a with his knack as a breakthrough bowler while Wanindu Hasaranga had 1 for 7, the big disappointment been Nuwan Thushara going wicketless for 31.