Indians thrashed in the second game

The Sri Lankan Lions stung to the quick by their defeat in the First of Five one-day games by India at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, bared their fangs to overcome the Indians in the second game on Tuesday. Hungry for success after the first reverse, the Lankan Lions went on a hunt from ball one and although the Indians had the early advantage in winning the toss, just feasted on the opponents to slap on them a big defeat by 9 wickets.

At the time this column is being read the third one-day game at the R.Premadasa Stadium on Saturday will be over and if the Lankans had maintained the same hunger for victory, playing the way we know they can, then victory would have been theirs. When India won the toss and batted, indications were that they would run up a big score of over 300- like they did in the first game and put the Lankans under pressure.

Indians on their knees

But the Lankans went out treating that defeat behind them, like a bad dream. They took the field and with the Josephian duo of Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews firing heavy artillery, brought the much hyped Indian batting to their knees bundling them out for 138 in just over 33.3 overs.

Perera had 3 for 19 and Mathews 3 for 14 with Lasith Malinga too joining in the scalping act with 2 for 36. Mathews at slip dropped Dhoni before he had scored off Perera, but that lapse did not prove costly.

Then when the Lankans chased, Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga who scored fifties, started the party with an opening stand of 119 and after Dilshan went for 50, Tharanga 59 not out and Dinesh Chandimal 6 not out waltzed to victory.

In winning by 9 wickets in 19.5 overs, the Lankans slapped on the Indians their second-biggest defeat by balls remaining in one-day internationals, their worst -209 balls- also coming against Sri Lanka at Dambulla in 2010.

Playing at the MCG

It is every cricketer's dream to play in the best cricketing venues in the world before quitting the game. Venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, Lord's in England, Wanderers in South Africa and Eden Gardens in Kolkotta are such venues. Some of the Sri Lanka cricketers will have the honour of playing at the MCG when they play the Boxing Day Test against Australia from December 26 to 30 later in the year. When talking of the MCG, the incident that shook the cricket world occurred on December 26, 1995 when Australian umpire Darrel Hair called Muttiah Muralitheran for 'chucking'.

Hair's defence

In defence of umpire Hair it must be said that he was doing his job. He had the guts to stand up and be counted. So there was no need to split hairs over Hair. Not only Hair, on the 1999 tour of Australia, umpire Ross Emerson also called Muralitheran. What happened subsequently where skipper Arjuna Ranatunge had a finger wagging duel with Emerson, also threatening to take the team off the field and with the Aussie media calling for Ranatunge's ban from the game is history now.

In this aspect one cannot forget the timely action taken by the then President of Sri Lanka Cricket Thilanga Sumathipala which saved Ranatunge's career. Sumathipala ordered that the best lawyers in Australia be got to defend Ranatunge, and Ranatunge thanks to Sumathipala was lucky to get away with a suspended sentence.

The manager on that acrimonious tour was Ranjit Fernando and assistant manager Saliya Ahangama. The duo were taxed to the maximum and to their credit it must be said they handled that fiery situation very diplomatically.

Cheer leaders

When the hearings on the Ranatunge incident was to be held in Adelaide and Perth, I was there covering the tour for the ANCL Group and keeping me company were cheer leaders Lionel 'the legend' Navaragodagedera and Saddhatissa.

While discussing Ranatunge's future and what the outcome would be we struck upon the idea that we make placards and first demonstrate in Adelaide and later Perth. The cheer squad roped in a few other Sri Lankans and our main placard read: 'RANATUNGE HERO, EMERSON ZERO'. In Adelaide on that day was being played the England- Australia tri- series game and a big crowd was present as we sported the placards and kept shouting slogans in support of Ranatunge and condemning Emerson for his injudicious act.

Big support was received from Sri Lankans domiciled in Adelaide and Perth and we were overjoyed when Ranatunge finally got away with a suspended sentence. All that was done in Ranatunge's defence has been forgotten-. But that is for history and for posterity.

'Star Cricket' must oblige

While on the subject of the Muralitharan 'calling', while watching the Sri Lanka- India game at Sooriyawewa, I switched on to the South Africa- England game being shown on 'STAR CRICKET' during a break and an interesting discussion was taking place. It was on Muraltheran and his action. Those who were posed questions were convinced that the International Cricket Council amended the rules to accommodate Muralitharan.

Taking part on the show were Dave Richardson, the new ICC Chief Executive, Murlitharan and Ramiz Raja the former Pakistan opening batsman and now a popular TV commentator and a few others. It will be good on 'STAR CRICKET' if they could send clips of this very interesting discussion to one of the local TV Stations for showing.

Dale leaves stain on Brit cricket

The South African cricketers led from the front by Graeme Smith took a giant step forward in their quest to be the best in world cricket when in the First of Three Test matches they brought England down to earth by inflicting an innings defeat. England have been hugging the top slot as the best in world cricket for some time now and the Three Tests between the two teams was going to decide whether England remained top. If they were to win, England would remain on that perch, to lose would be to come tumbling down. With the first defeat, the perch must be shaky a second loss could eject them and a third loss could bring the Brits tumbling down to earth. When the series began, the consensus was that it was going to be blood and thunder series as both teams were packed with some of the most exciting players in the game.

England collapse

England dominated the first day with a nicely carved out century from Vice Captain Alistair Cook, but collapsed thereafter to be dismissed for 385. But from the time the Proteas took strike it was complete domination, with Graeme Smith joining a select band of cricketers who have scored centuries in their century of cricket with a majestic 134. Then the bearded Hashim Amla rewrote the record books with a triple hundred and Jacques Kallis added salt to Brit wounds with another hundred in a South African huge score of 637 for 2 declared.

Then when the Brits batted a second time, speed man Dale Steyn left a stain on their cricket when he bowled a telling spell to take 5 wickets and send the Brits tumbling to an innings defeat which sure would have hurt and dented Brit pride and prestige. It warmed the cockles to see a leg spinner in the class of Imran Thahir operating for South Africa. He too joined the wicket taking party with three wickets. He proved the importance of what a good leg spinner could do in winning a game. He pitched his variety of deliveries - leg spin, googly and the top spinner to a line and length to baffle and bemuse the Brit batsmen.

Oh for more leggies in the game.

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