Sri Lanka proved that it was emerging power

By A. C. de Silva

CRICKET: It was Sri Lanka’s glorious hour in Test cricket at the early stages. That way in late August and early September around 23 years ago.

It was not a win that the team got, but the team proved beyond doubt that it got the talent to climb the ladder of success in the years ahead in the sport that has become a passion for the islanders.

Sri Lanka played against India in colombo and the match ended in a draw. The Test had everything - action, fluctuating for tunes and most important - close competition.

Sri Lanka outplayed India in batting and bowling and if only luck had helped a little, Sri Lanka would have pulled off a sensational win. The Test was drastically curtailed because of rain.

Batting first, India made 218 in their first innings with Sunil Gavaskar making 51 and three others L. Rajput, Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma getting into the thirties.

The credit for Sri Lanka liming India for that somewhat low score should go to Asantha de Mel who bowled with renewed ‘fire’ whenever he was given a new short spell. De Mel had 5 for 64 while other medium-paceman Rumesh Ratnayake had 2 for 64 and Saliya Ahangama 2 for 60. Came Sri Lanka’s turn and there was Ranjan Madugalle and Arjuna Ranatunga who gave a fine exhibition of batting.

Both completed their centuries - Madugalle made 103 and Arjuna Ranatunga, batting at number six, made 111. Madugalle batted superbly and in the manner of a true Test batsman who built an innings. Then Arjuna Ranatunga too batted equally well and the two placed Sri Lanka on a sound position.

Then skipper Duleep Mendis - the skipper, made 51 before Arjuna came on the scene and later Aravinda de Silva applied a little aggression and made 33. Sri Lanka made 347.

Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma had 3 wickets each while Shastri and Maninder Singh had two each.

India made 251 in the second innings. The Indians did not cover themselves with batting glory in both innings.

If not for one senior batsman sticking it out in a last-ditch battle, it would have been a different story. Dilip Vengsarkar stood like a stone wall and made 98 in the second innings.

Rumesh Ratnayake took 6 for 85 in the second innings.

Ratnayake had the Indians guessing all the time with his seam movement and clever variation of pace and Saliya Ahangama had 3 for 49. Sri Lanka were 61 for 4 wickets in the second innings at close of play.

India 1st Innings 

L. Rajput c Silva b Ahangama		32
K. Srikkanth b Ratnayake	 	 2
M. Azharuddin c Silva b Ahangama	 3
D. B. Vengsarkar c Silva b De Mel	 6
S. M. Gavaskar run out			51
R. J. Shastri c Silva b De Mel	 	 9
Kapil Dev c Silva b De Mel		36
S. Viswanath c De Silva b De Mel	20
Chetan Sharma c Silva b De Mel		38
Gopal Sharma not out			10
Mahindra Singh lbw b Ratnayake	 	 0
EXTRAS  (lb 5, nb 5, w1)		11
TOTAL	  				218

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19, 2-30, 3-47, 4-49, 5-69, 6-101, 7-143, 8-202, 9-218.
BOWLING: Asantha de Mel 28-8-62-5, Rumesh Ratnayake 24.2-8-60-2, 
Saliya Ahangama 23-3-60-2, Asoka de Silva 12-5-18-0, Arjuna Ranatunga 10-8-7-0.
Sri Lanka 1st Innings 

Sunil Wettimuny c Viswanath b C. Sharma		 13
Amal Silva c Azaruddin b C. Sharma	  	  7
Ranjan Madugalle c and b Maninder Singh 	103
Roy Dias c Azaruddin b C. Sharma	  	  4
Duleep Mendis c Gavaskar b Maninder Singh	 51
Arjuna Ranatunga b Shastri	             	111
Aravinda de Silva c Azharuddin b Shastri	 33
Asantha de Mel c Viswanath b Kapil Dev		 16
Ravi Ratnayake lbw b Kapil Dev	 		  2
Asoka de Silva not out	 			  1
Saliya Ahangama c Viswanath b Kapil Dev	 	  0
EXTRAS  (lb 5, nb 1)	 			  6
TOTAL 	 					347

FALL OF WICKETS:  1-18, 2-29, 3-33, 4-118, 5-262, 6-317, 7-342, 8-346, 9-347.
BOWLING: Kapil Dev 30.4-8-74-3, Chetan Sharma 25-3-81-3, 
Ravi Shastri 34-9-70-2, Maninder Singh 40-12-82-2, Gopal Sharma 15-6-34-0.
India 2nd Innings 

L. Rajput c Silva b Ratnayake		 61
K. Srikkanth c Silva b Ratnayake	  9
M. Azharuddin lbw b Ahangama		 16
D. B. Vengsarkar not out		 98
S. M. gavaskar c De Mel b Ratnayake	  0
R. Shastri lbw b Ratnayake		 40
Kapil Dev c sub (Anurasiri) b Ratnayake	  6
S. Viswanath c Silva b Ratnayake	  0
Chetan Sharma run out	 		  4
Gopal Sharma lbw b Ahangama	 	  1
Mahinder Singh b Ahangama	 	  3
EXTRAS  (b-4, lb-3, nb-6)		 13
TOTAL 	  				 251

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-23, 2-54, 3-130, 4-130, 5-188, 6-206, 7-206, 8-220, 9-229.

BOWLING:  Asantha de Mel 30-3-81-0, Rumesh Ratnayake 41-10-85-6, S. Ahangama 31.3-10-46-3,
 Asoka de Silva 15-6-20-0, Arjuna Ranatunga 6-2-6-0.

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings 

Amal Silva not out			 	  1
R. Madugalle not out	 			  5
R. Dias c Srikkanth b Kapil Dev	 		  0
D. Mendis c Kapil Dev b C. Sharma		 18
A. Ranatunga run out				 15
Aravinda de Silva c Maninder Singh b Kapil Dev	 21
EXTRAS  (lb-1)	  				  1
TOTAL  (for 4 wickets close)			 61

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-38, 2-39, 3-44, 4-58.

BOWLING: Kapil Dev 4-0-36-2, Chetan Sharma 4-0-24-1.