Sri Lanka's search for a Test win continues in India continues. Their heaviest defeat ever in Tests on Monday, by an innings and 239 runs, is doing no good to their attempt to put up a show and salvage some pride in the remaining Test in New Delhi starting on Saturday.
The Sri Lankans have lost four of their five Tests against India this year. Add the 1-2 series loss to India in 2015 at home and it makes it six defeats in their last eight Tests to India in recent times.
Taking an off day and keeping their mind off cricket, the Sri Lankans were left pondering as to where to improve in an attempt to put up a good show in the rest of the series. Considering the performances in Kolkata second innings and both the innings here, the Lankan team, barring a couple of the players including captain Dinesh Chandimal, will have to undergo a complete change.
While the team management has been allowing their batsmen to play their natural style and not arresting their attacking instincts, some of them have not taken the responsibility of playing what the situation demanded.
Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, for example, threw away his wicket in the first innings when he was beginning to settle down in the company of captain Dinesh Chandimal, while in the second innings, opener Lahiru Thirimanne fell chasing a wide delivery and gave backward point a straight forward. Thirimanne may be censured by the think-tank in the final Test and may be left out of the final Test 11.
"Dickwella took too many risks. He will get to realise that," said batting coach Thilan Samaraweera here.
Also not helping Chandimal's cause is senior batsman and former captain Angelo Mathews not scoring runs. In eight Tests in 2017, Mathews, now-a-days playing purely as a batsman at No. 4, has averaged only 25.75. It is his lowest in any calendar year.
Their interim chief coach Nic Pothas was hopeful of Mathews coming out of the run drought. "We got Thilan Samaraweera as our batting coach with a good track record. I am sure he will sit down with Angelo and work things out. Angelo is a quality international cricketer. He is hurting at the moment because he has an immense amount of pride. I have no doubt that with his ability he will come up with some answers."
Sri Lankan cricket, overnight, will not change. But it cannot take forever to change. Legendary batsman and former captain Aravinda de Silva had said earlier this year that Sri Lankan cricket cannot be going through a transition stage for ever after the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara in 2015 and Mahela Jayawardene in 2014.
Samaraweera said he will have to talk individually to the players and give them the confidence. He has identified playing against spin as one of the weak areas that needs to be sorted.
"I can't give a time frame when we can rectify. I need about four five months to identify things. We have a two-month break (early next year) and that's the time to address the issue," Samaraweera said.
The Lankans have some talented players but they have not been able to withstand the pressures of international cricket. Opener Sadeera Samarawickrama has been pitted as one in the mould of Jayawardene. But, his scores in this series – 13 & 0 in Kolkata and 23 & 0 in Nagpur – and the manner of his dismissals don't reflect his talent.
Samaraweera said: "I have to handle Sadeera very carefully. He is only 22. He has played only three Tests. I have to keep the balance going, his attack and defence. At the moment I am having chats with him as I am new to this role."
The desire to post their maiden win in India is burning inside the Sri Lankans. The closest we came to beating India in India was in the first Test they played in India, in Chennai in 1982. Since that drawn Test, Sri Lanka have lost 11 in India, nine of them by an innings. In all, eight have ended in draws.
"Hopefully we will win a Test in India one day," said fast bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake.
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 "Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal")
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