Days of miracles still not over

The days of miracles, even in sport are still not over. If this is not so how can one explain the astonishing victory by the Sri Lankans in the First of Three Test matches against Pakistan at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday.

When the game began on the fourth day with Pakistan on 71 for two, requiring another 89 to win with eight wickets in hand and some of their best batsmen to come, even the diehard Sri Lankan supporters would not have given them a chance.

But the Lankans wrought a cricketing miracle when they captured the remaining eight wickets for just 46 runs in 25 overs to savour a victory which they would always remember for their lives and would one day be describing it to their children, grand children and god willing, even great grand children.

Kishin Butani, an ardent sports fan, the moment the last Pakistani wicket fell rang me and said: They - the cricketers - have turned water into wine. He was referring to the miracle wrought by Christ at a wedding in Cana, where at a wedding noticing that the guys were thirsty, quenched their thirst by turning water into wine. Butani was referring to that miracle.

In securing this grand victory,the cricketers also repaid the sponsors of the team for the next four years Mobitel, who in their blurb say - we care always.

When the Lankans took the field, it was apparent that they were not going to throw in the towel without offering the opponents a fight. Not only did they fight, but fought clean and hard, and had the batsmen groggy before delivering the knockout punch.

It was left arm leggie Rangana Herath who delivered the punch that made them groggy by removing first innings century maker Mohammad Younus lbw without offering a stroke. That was the wicket the Lankans badly needed and did not the on coming batsmen look jelly kneed after that.

Now when the selectors sent an SOS to Herath and flew him down from England where he was honouring his league contract, it did not go down well with the spinners here knocking on the door for national representation. The selectors exposed the bare spin cupboard.

But Herath who answered the call to represent his country, justified the faith that the selectors had in him and what a display of intelligent and tantalizing left arm leg spin bowling he put on show. The question to ask the selectors is: How come Herath was not good enough to be in the original squad? For his match winning effort, Herath was deservedly adjudged the man of the match for his figures of 4 for 16.

Galvanized by Herath's effort, left arm pacie Thilana Thusara Mirando joined the party. Pitching on a good line and getting the ball to move that little, he mesmerized the batsmen and when victory came on the stroke of lunch, didn't the cricketers, but also the spectators on the ground do the jig of joy.

For Kumar Sangakkara who was leading the team for the first time it was a dream come true. He led by example and saw that his team mates rode the pressure and were not unduly worried by the situation. It was good captaincy and his bowling changes were carefully thought out.

Sangakkara seemed to be humble in victory, when at the after match press conference he complimented former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardena by saying that his presence was encouraging and that he welcomed Jayawardena's advice in tight situations.

On Jayawardena and it must be worrying not only to him but also the team his two failures. But Jayawardena has the technique and temperaments to come good and get back to his usual big run making habit.

In both innings, and I am sure Jayawardena would have watched TV replays of his dismissals and noticed that he was only half forward and not in line and so the snicking. He must be fully forward when striking.

Richie Benaud, the former great Australian captain is on record saying that captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. And if what Benaud said is true then Sangakkara has luck on his side and should go places.

Now that the Lankans have drawn first blood, they must not let complacency set in, but go for the jagular and throttle the Pakistanis in the remaining Two Tests and make a clean sweep.

The Pakistanis can't blame the wicket, the umpires or the conditions for their defeat like did former skipper Imtiaz Ahmed when they lost an unofficial Test at the Oval in the sixties. To put it simply, it was backboneless batting. Correct footwork, getting in line and playing straight, fundamentals in batting were all sadly missing. Pity. It was a slur on their former batting greats who would have been hiding their faces in shame.

A question that should be posed to the Pakistani selectors is this: How come that allrounder Abdul Razzak and leg spinner Danish Kaneira were not good enough to make it to the playing eleven? When it comes to Test cricket no chances should be taken. The likes of Razzak and Kaneira are hard to find and it was a waste of talent and poor thinking.

Accepted that youngsters should be blooded and accepted that youngsters Aamer, Saeed and Rauf delivered. But that is beside the point. Youngsters should be given their spurs quietly and not rushed in blindly. We hope the Pakistani selectors will learn.

If the umpires made mistakes in this Test it could be attributed to the big and deafening sounds made by the papara, papara bands on the ground. Abu Fuard, the former off spinning Sri Lankan allrounder was furious when discussing the band playing.

Fuard said: "It is time that Sri Lanka Cricket stepped in and stopped this merry making. I have no grouse with the bands playing. But certainly not when the action is on. After every over, or during breaks well and good. But not when play is on. It affects the concentration of not only the umpires, but also the players."

Fuard also recollected how former West Indian batting great Brian Lara pulled out taking strike when a Calypso band was playing in the Caribbean during a Test match. Lara took guard and when readying to strike, pulled back when the band was playing and refused to strike until the band stopped playing.

Fuard says that it is time that the International Cricket Council moved in and stopped the band playing which is making a mockery of the time honoured and sacred game of TEST CRICKET.