Mahela's magic

By Arm Chair Critic

Mahela Jayawardena's removing of Lasith Malinga, after just one over, in the fourth ODI against New Zealand, became the subject of discussion among the commentators. Malinga's fifth ball of that over had been a loose delivery and was dispatched to the boundary. He was then replaced by Farvez Maharoof.

West Indian cricket expert Tony Crozier, for whom I have the highest respect and the co-commentator discussed the hasty change and queried the reasoning behind it. Was it that loose delivery? They asked.

Both of them quite categorically stated that Mahela was wrong as Lasith Malinga was one of the most feared fast bowlers that New Zealand had ever faced.

This tenuous and dubious decision was made obvious by the fact that the next three deliveries were dispatched to the boundary by McCullum with utter disdain.

Then came that magic delivery, which swung in the air and seamed on the pitch getting the outside edge of McCullum's bat to fly towards Sangakkara who took the catch of the match. The commentators were then full of praise for Mahela's captaincy.

Mahela saw the scuttle swing and seam of Chaminda Vaas' deliveries were not there in Lasith Malinga, who was bowling at full throttle. Mahela saw and took the unconventional decision to replace Lasith Malinga with the only other bowler, who could even come remotely close to Chaminda Vaas in swing and seam.

Tony Crozier and the New Zealand co-commentator went into raptures over Mahela's decision, one rarely taken by any captain in international cricket. Captains tend to follow a conventional approach to the game which is always negative.

Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world but he is the worst captain India ever produced. If we are doing well in Tests and ODIs it is due to the extraordinary skills of captaincy that Mahela has shown from the day he started at Dambulla against the Australians.