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| Sunday, 24 February 2002 |
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Two decades of Test cricket by Srian Obeyesekere Two decades of Test cricket was a historic occasion for Sri Lanka, but by all accounts, went unheralded. That is going by the pride of place the game enjoys today since the country was accepted into the fold of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in February 1982. The massive development drive sustained by an equally enormous commercial network. Indeed, the fruits of 20 years in the firmament has seen a vast transformation from those infant days when Sri Lanka was the babes of cricket. Fifth in the Test ratings behind Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and England in the wake of a highly successful 2001 in taking top billing for the year 2001 winning 61.54 per cent of matches over Australia (57.14), and ranked one the best one-day sides in the world underscoring the change. If 1982 was a fiery baptism against the English masters of the game which significantly saw the grooming of young Arjuna Ranatunga, who was to largely champion the transcension in later years,it was the stepping stone for such names like Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias among others to sow the seeds of a new era by the tremendous impact they made with the bat. Not long after, among the bowlers Rumesh Ratnayake. Memorable to date the Lankan pace bowler kneeling in the ecstacy of Sri Lanka registering its first ever Test victory after taking a diving catch off India's Kapil Dev in 1985. Since that historic win under the leadership of Duleep Mendis, who breathed a swashbuckling drive into the Lankan batting, the country has tasted many more milestones. Incidentally,it was a leaf from Mendis' book that created the innovation to one-day cricket in dictating the game to the rest of the world. The famous Jayasuriya-Kaluwitharana new dimension of hitting over the top in the first 15 overs culminating in Sri Lanka emerging world champions in 1995-'96. Today, the game's establishment can bask in the laurels the games has brought the country. Some 29 wins from 119 Test matches played throughout the globe that marked by overseas series triumphs against New Zealand (1995), Pakistan (1995), England (1998) in a one-off Test series and Zimbabwe (2000). Less away wins arguably reflected by the fact that few overseas tours in comparisson to more home series' with leading countries like the West Indies and England meting out stepmotherly treatment in early years. But the gradual impact made in both versions of the game over the years has seen a significant change in estimation with Sri Lanka in the top bracket while countries like the West Indies which dominated the game like a colossus for over two decades, and England which held its own in the 1950 - '60 era, losing their clout. Sri Lanka has enjoyed a few home series wins against India, (the more recent in 2001) while also getting the better of Australia in 2000 under the leadership of Sanath Jayasuriya soon after the kangaroos emerged as world beaters in the wake of their World Cup success in England in 1999, Pakistan (2000), West Indies (2001). The latter the first ever such in a 3-0 clean sweep where the former world beaters from whom Sri Lanka had taken many a bashing during those infancy days when the Calypsoes boasted of the best pace bowling machinery. Significantly, wicket-keeper batsman, Kumar Sangakkara became the first Sri Lankan to notch a century at that level against the West Indies while off spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan enjoyed one of his best series' collecting a record 27 wickets. Indeed, the nation's cricket has taken a forward leap with Jayasuriya fitting into the shoes of Arjuna Ranatunga in maintaining the balance of his predecessor equitably for one who lacked the type of experience Ranatunga imbibed to the game as the country's most illustrious of captains to date. While Jayasuriya started on a winning note against the Australians soon after he took over, he has won the admiration of the world for bringing into the game an approach of his own in leading from the front. Astute bowling changes which have fetched wickets at crucial stages as much as clicking as a team man in marshalling his charges as an unit. It is this trait more than anything that has endeared him as a captain to his men. The yearly graduation has also been marked by individualism. From Jayasuriya's hurricane batting that saw the left hand opening batsman clobber the fastest one-day century (subsequently bettered by Pakistan's Shahid Afridi) and record holder of the fastest one-day fifty to holding the record for the third highest individual score 340. Jayasuriya continues to enjoy the estimation as the most aggressive one-day batsman, his innovative style seeing him already rated ahead of other pinch hitters for the 2003 World Cup to be staged in South Africa. In the more recent fold, young batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have shown the type of class that has found recognition. Jayawardene, the right hander being ranked 5th in the world Test ratings and Sangakkara, the left hander 7th while opening batsman, Marvan Atapattu is talked of as the most technically equipped batsman for strokeplay, timing and style. If the early years of Lankan cricket grew on the success of such bowlers like Rumesh Ratnayake, today the journey has nourished in that department by the virtues of Muralitharan whose artistry with the ball has seen him regarded as the world's greatest finger spinner's of the ball along with Australia's Shane Warne. It is to the credit of this right armer that he has so emerged after his career was in doubt in 1995-'96 when he was called for chucking. After being cleared by the ICC, Muralitharan has not looked back. His 400 wickets in January this year against Zimbabwe making him the 72nd bowler to reach the milestone and in the shortest time by any bowler. The rate at which Muralitharan has been taking wickets has already seen him regarded a front runner to overtake West Indian, Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets and the 600-mark. For a nation that has been 20 years in the firmament of Test cricket, there cannot be a better illustration than Muralitharan whose achievements with the ball stand tall in world cricket. |
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