|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 21 December 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Sports |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Dilshan - the crackerjack in Lankan batting order by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE Squeezing a win over England has looked as trying for Sri Lanka as it is said to be for Santa this X'Mas in his Finland hometown village in the town of Rovanienie in the Arctic Circle where it is said there is hardly any snow this December for Santas to ride on their sleighs. But captain Hashan Tillekeratne must be hoping Santa will visit him, courtesy young Tillekeratne Dilshan to make it third time lucky after England escaped defeat by the skin of their teeth in the first and second tests. That is if Dilshan's telling contributions in the second Test match is anything to go by. England's last wicket pair held strong in Galle while they rode on a captain's century knock by Michael Vaughan saw his side intact by 3 wickets to stall Sri Lanka at Asgiriya. That was after a crackerjack 127-ball hundred by Dilshan in Sri Lanka's second innings which set up the hosts a victory chase of 363. But 27-year old Dilshan whose 4-year international career has been as roller-coaster as the turnaround in his batting fortunes, was quite modest to play down his rise after 2 years in the wilderness. "I wouldn't say I'm the crackerjack in the batting line-up. There are others as well," mused Sri Lanka's batting hero in Asgiriya last week in answer to the question by the 'Sunday Observer' last Wednesday ahead of the Third Test. But modest as he might be, the right handed Dilshan has certainly injected new drive into a hitherto rather lumbering Lankan batting line-up since the Galle Test match. The change was unmistakable at Asgiriya with Dilshan's recall. The right-hander simply made inroads into a fat slice of the order relegating the likes of Jayasuriya, Atapattu, Sangakkara and Jayawardene to a back seat with top scores of 63 and 100. But more than anything it was the manner in which Dilshan's bat caned the England bowlers that made the difference. From the word 'go' he went hammer and tong setting an example to the seniors. Of course, as Dilshan put it, the bearings of Australian-born coach John Dyson have begun to direct those new fortunes in a revived career. "I must credit Dyson as well. He asked me to play my natural game like as I do for my club Bloomfield to ease the load," reminisced Dilshan. How did he feel to be in the thick of it doing the job for Sri Lanka with his bat resurrecting a brittle middle order? "I must say it is a big responsibility batting at No. 5 in giving depth to the batting." How did he view the future? "I intend carrying on from here, having cemented my place in the team." Dilshan attributes the change in him to hard work. "When I started playing at international level with the Sri Lanka 'A' XI, I was about 20 years. Since my first stint in the main national team I played more cricket for the 'A' team from which I picked up as much as from the exposure I gained touring with the main team by watching the game although I did not make the team. I must say I learnt much and was able to correct my mistakes," reflected the cricketer hailing from Kalutara. Another career building factor was the willing worker in the youngster who said 'I used to make every use of the bowling machine available with the Cricket Board which enabled me to test and assess my shot making.' Indeed, it has been a hard grind to the top for Sri Lanka's newest batting revelation. Having made his Test debut in 1999, a subsequent 163 against Zimbabwe at Harare showed glimpses of the latent talent in the youngster. But, his career like so many others like him who walked into the Lankan team after the change in the wake of the 1999 World Cup saw Dilshan sidelined. The recall of Aravinda de Silva during the South Africa tour of 2001 saw him sidelined despite some eye catching knocks. Dilshan's has been a career marked by a change of five clubs as much as a change of name from Tuwan to Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan born to a Malay father and Sinhalese mother, to catch the eye. His career which began in Kalutara brought him to Bloomfield for further recognition in terms of club status without which players believe they don't stand a chance of catching the selectors eye. But Dilshan had to sit in the waiting shadows of Aravinda de Silva until the elder statesman finally bowed out to re-cement his place in the team. During the off period, the youngster was the better by the experience. He led a Board XI versus Zimbabwe in 2001, struck a match winning 123 for a Cricket Association XI against Tamil Nadu in 2001, 115 and 121 for Board XI's versus England in 2001. Dilshan's third recall came on the back of a fantastic domestic season heightened by a couple of centuries for his club Bloomfield, but that too ironically only in the second Test. What was his message to his fans? "This time around I'm here to stay, looking to flaunt my career on the top rungs," quipped Dilshan who said that he did not ape any childhood heroes as such though 'I've only watched and learnt from them.' He also says a big thank you to his two schoolboy coaches - Sunil Saluwadane and Ranjan Paranavithana which enabled him to turn out for Kalutara Maha Vidyalaya. "Sunil was my coach from under-13 to u-19 while Ranjan was my co-coach of the college First XI. Ranjan continued to do so as my first club coach at Sebastianites," recalled Dilshan. Vaughan - England's flower If Dilshan was the local hero with the willow at Asgiriya, England's Michael Vaughan played a characteristic captain's knock of a century in taking his side out of the woods. The 29-year old opener in doing so,braved odds of taking England from the initial slumber of 1 wicket down for 24, 2-56, 3-90,and later from 167-4 after Sri Lanka had seen the back of Trescothick, Butcher, Hussain and Thorpe as Muralitharan threatened to carry Sri Lanka home. It sealed Vaughan's elevation to the captaincy while also insulating himself the batsman that he was before taking over the mantle. A status he had built on the back of 679 Test runs in 2001 at 33.95 from 13 Test match appearances on which he went one better in 2002 scoring 1,481 runs from 14 Tests at 61.70 inclusive of 6 centuries and another at Sydney in 2003 in the final Ashes Test match against Australia. 2002 capped Vaughan as Test cricket's leading run getter. Incidentally, Vaughan went one better on his century against Sri Lanka in the Lord's Test in 2002. His 105 at Asgiriya this time around in the wake of a first innings 52 which saw England finish on 285 for 7, the England captain having being seventh out, saw him blossom out as the flower in the English ranks. Not only for rising to the call of leading from the front, but also in continuing to deliver with the bat. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
