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| Sunday, 15 June 2003 |
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Chief selector happy on top order of Lankan batting clicking by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE Sri Lanka's sudden upswing from a low key in beating the West Indies on Calypso soil in restoring the island nation's dwindling one-day fortunes has brought back the smiles. And ofcourse to none more than Chairman of Selectors, Lalith Kaluperuma who indeed was smiling broad at the 2-1 series triumph. The return to winning ways chorussed by the former cricketer turned latent talent finecombing hawk by the words that, "I'm very happy that the top order of the batting is getting back to the usual form our batting once was". Indeed, Kaluperuma, who would add to a countless number who emerged from that schooling institution called Nalanda College with a bang if not as illustriously as the Asanka Gururusinhas and Roshan Mahanamas, but who underscored the feeding impetus of the school situated down Campbell Park, for the telling impact he made as a gutsy utility player who could fling a bat and turn the ball, had cause to reflect on the house getting back to order. He savoured the two straight wins over Brian Lara's West Indians as the ideal tonic for the `country to get established once again'. "Getting back to winning ways can in turn do the team good in gaining back their confidence", were the words of optimism on which the chief selector rode in looking to bigger things. To translate to which he sounded that it was `upto them to maintain the good work.' Indeed, the chief selector was looking for more song to add chorus to through a continuity he hoped would bring its good effects to bettering the potential at Test level as well. "I hope that they will maintain this consistency and extend that potential to the Test team." He singled out utility player, Upul Chandana as the fruit that had ripened to taste sweet. The huge influence the right hander had brought to a sagging middle order was some achievement. "He (Chandana) has done extremely well. His strong area is there in limited overs cricket", commented the Chairman of Selectors of Chandana who saw his 89-run match winning knock in the second one-dayer against the West Indies as the high point of Sri Lanka's series triumph. For Chandana, the lean and wiry cricketer hailing from Mahinda College, Galle, certainly it was a roaring comeback from the wilderness. The 30-year old Tamil Union cricketer had been screaming to be counted, but had continued to remain in the sidelines despite performing. Perhaps, best amplified by the blind eye turned on him during the home triangular series in Dambulla where he could not win a place despite some impressive performances with both bat and ball in the trial matches against the visiting New Zealanders. Given that marooning, it was from dire straits that Chandana rose. For failure to deliver could have meant the eternity of being confined to the 'reserve lane' of cricket. Given the circumstances, Chandana, who could lay claims to an allrounder at a time there aren't many on the local circuit, deserves all the accolades for making it the big occasion to signal his return to the firmament. For a player with so little opportunities, it was a cavalier innings honed in the most trying conditions. For one, it was a tall order from the blues being asked to take strike at No. 5. And still taller considering the fact that when he walked to the middle Sri Lanka was in deficit of some 170 odd runs staring at a huge 312-run victory target. Above all, he had answered a captain's call in beefing up a fragile batting department in lifting the team from the dire straits that Sri Lankan cricket had slipped into. But Chandana rose to the occasion using the willow as it is known to be used, churning out four huge sixes and six boundaries as he scorched the ball that was meant to be given the treatment and grafted the ones which offered the one's and two's, his athletic feet standing to good effect in running between the wickets from what we heard of his brilliant knock. While Chandana's omission, however, from the Test squad led to some unrest back home with certain sections of the media shouting that Sri Lanka's hero was returning home to make room for another, the Chairman of Selectors defended the decision of the selectors saying, "We need more variety in the bowling department. That's why we preferred Kaushal Lokuarachchi to Upul because of his bowling. We thought of giving the youngster some continuity to get established." Ofcourse, Kaluperuma's reasoning cannot be faulted considering the fact that one-day cricket and Test cricket are altogether two different ball games. In favour of young Lokuarachchi, who signalled his arrival on the big circuit with a wicket in his first ball in a one-day game in the Sharjah Cup over a month ago, is the fact that the former Peterite cricketer has certainly made an impact as a perfect foil to Muttiah Muralitharan. At a time the selectors headache had been not having a good support bowler for Muralitharan, the emergence of the tall, lanky Lokuarachchi who has shown the ability of a workman with the ball as he ambles to the wicket and delivers giving some muscle to the ball in terms of flight and variation must certainly augur well for the future of Lankan cricket. What is more, the youngster is a left armer to Muralitharan's right arm as far as combinations go. As for Chandana, his return to the fold one would hope at that level would see continuity in the interests of the game. He has once again struck a shot in the arm for rural cricket. The need to give the rural cricketer every encouragement at a time the hue and cry of the establishment is that talent lies in the village. Similarly, the emergence of youngsters like Lokuarachchi is the ideal tonic to creating healthy competition where only eleven can make team. Incidentally, the first leg of the West Indian sojourn also cements the entry of Marvan Atapattu in fitting into the captaincy shoes relinquished by Sanath Jayasuriya in rising to the ever increasing demands of one-day cricket. Victory must taste as sweet for Atapattu. More so considering the fact that his first two shys in the saddle in Sharjah and back home ended on a defeatist note. Aggravated against the backdrop of the humiliation that Sri Lanka had for the first time in over two decades failed to enter a final in a home triangular which was contested between New Zealand and Pakistan, striking gold in the caribbean must augur well for Atapattu whose much echoed experimenting theme when he assumed the captaincy had failed to deliver till then. Indeed, the triumph, which would have been the sweeter had Sri Lanka made a clean sweep of the 3-match series and a first at that, underscored the virtues of a captain ready to gamble and win. An away achievement made to look the more remarkable against a new look West Indian side whose cricket has revived having bounced back to beat world champions, Australia in the last three one-dayers having lost the first four. It is to the captain's credit that new to the job Atapattu has experimented with the batting by dropping himself down the order in favour of pinch hitter, Romesh Kaluwitharana enabling the wicket-keeper batsman to return to his former role of partnering Sanath Jayasuriya. Despite it not yielding to good effect, the Jayasuriya-Kaluwitharana combination has in fits and starts brought some semblance of increasing the run rate which paid dividends in the second one-dayer. |
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