A Roar of Revival ?

A Roar of Revival ?

The roars of warning are clearly out. Having beaten England comprehensively in the 3rd and final Test at Trent Bridge, the Sri Lankans have already sounded the alarm of resurgence. At last, there seems to be a conscious effort to raise the standards of their cricket every game and it won’t be before long that these efforts will be translated into notable results. Tom Moody’s one-year in charge of the islanders has finally seen a high-point. A test win away from home is not the easiest thing to achieve for an Asian team, barring Pakistan, but as they did in 1998 at the Oval, such victories have had their own say in galvanizing and rejuvenating the spirit in the Sri Lankan camp.

A major question that might torment the average fan of Sri Lanka cricket would be, if this is just a phase or is it real transformation they have shown from the previous 6 months ? To start off, in the past 6-8 months of Tom Moody’s tenure, he had nothing much to show in terms of results, except for a few wins here and there, that too against teams like West Indies and Bangladesh. They had a forgettable tour of India, where putting 300 runs was a mammoth task by itself. Then came a tour to New Zealand, where resistance was visible to an extent, but not worth an outcome. As the pundits of the modern game claim, a tour of Australia is a toughening experience, for both the team and the individual player. It surely rubbed off in Bangladesh, where they surprisingly encountered competition from the home side, before a string of mistakes from the home side gifted the Lankans with two wins. One perceived the loss to Bangladesh in an ODI, as a low point in their journey towards a successful metamorphosis, but then the even bigger loss to Pakistan ensured that Sri Lanka go through a month of introspection before the English tour kicked off.

Here they are now with a new blood of spirit flowing through their veins, a new wave of confidence taking them through to the shore and a tough side, for whom results are just a matter of extending this exuding confidence to its logical conclusion. Having fought off a brave English challenge and perhaps achieving the unthinkable by drawing the first test might have played catalyst to this revival. A loss without fight at Edgbaston did not faze them one bit as they virtually saw through a hapless position to rout England at Trent Bridge. Maybe, this is just the beginning. Surely, Tom Moody & Co have a lot more to offer to the world.

As for the positives from whatever has transpired in Sri Lankan cricket this summer, firstly, Mahela Jayawardena’s appointment as captain as surely infused a sense of innovation and youth to this team. He is by far their best batsman at the moment, and as far as his short stint as a captain is concerned, it looks astute to the tee. Secondly, the coming back of Sanath Jayasuriya from retirement has surely had its say in reinforcing the faith and the belief within the camp. The young brigade of Sri Lankan batsmen in Chamara Kapugedara, Upul Tharanga and Michael Vandort now have a senior figure in a mentoring role to look up to and his presence in the dressing room will surely be a big enough lift the team was looking for. Lastly, for once Sri Lanka has shown signs of playing as a team, rather than relying too heavily on individuals like Vaas, Muralitharan and Jayasuriya. There is a sense of responsibility that has creeped into this team, which can only usher a good future.

Most teams only need a small yet meaningful win to trigger their revival. There are stiffer challenges ahead of this Sri Lankan team at the moment leading to the world cup. It will be imperative for them not to get too buoyant about their achievements and lose the plot when it matters. It wouldn’t be too incorrect to say that Sri Lanka are peaking at the right time, but what will test them is maintaining this good run of form. The test series against South Africa at home will prove to be another examination for this promising bunch of Sri Lankans. And, the tri-series to follow will be a test of their consistency and form.

Sri Lankan cricket has quite often flattered to deceive. With a rich wealth of raw talent in their wings, it is time they deliver against quality opposition. Beating teams like Bangladesh and West Indies might win them a series, but will only result in insecurity of belief when it comes to playing the best. One surely hopes that Sri Lanka can overcome their odds, whatever little they might have at the moment and become a force to reckon with, come West Indies 2007!