Andrew Silva
The biggest dilemma faced by SL ODI cricket today is the severe dearth in finding a solid pair of Openers, who could provide a stable launching pad upfront to make 300+ scores.
There were around 10 new openers tried out during the costly experiments extended over 5 years & nearly 200 ODIs to date, since 2013 with no success.
- The other day, the SA commentators were discussing about the importance of having a solid pair at top to make an impact to the outcome of ODIs. They were quoting some highly-productive opening pairs in ODI Cricket with their accumulated runs together.
- Finding productive Openers, who could make consistent runs anywhere, under any situation is not an easy task. This is even much harder in limited-over cricket, as evident from the futile experiments, ridiculously going on since mid-2013 in SL ODI arena. SL Opening combinations were changed more rapidly than shuffling cards. But strangely the solitary trump card was the one dumped most, preferring to keep faith mostly on useless Jokers. SELECTORS merrily extended the chances BEYOND 50 odis for some, to realize the obvious futility.
SL’s ever best Opening pair with most number of 100+ opening stands together:
- TM Dilshan / U Tharanga ( 2009-2014) :
- 71 innings , 3,159 runs @ 45 Av – 9 x 100+ stands , 12 x 50+ stands
Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya initiated the downfall by dismantling SL’s most productive Opening pair (Dilshan & Tharanga) in ODI history. He axed Tharanga in mid-2013 despite scoring the career best unbeaten 174* score in WI vs India (series Av 56) & winning his 11th MoM award, just 3 weeks before the 3yrs long axing imposed on him.
The reason for 3+ yrs long Axing was, 3-inning lean patch in the series followed after the highly productive (56 Av) series in West Indies in mid-2013 .
This ridiculous move was proved to be very costly, lading to the fading of SL’s best chance to lift the 2nd WC in 2015.
If not for the upfront setbacks repeatedly experienced up to the knockout, SL could have surely entered the final as we did in previous 2 WCs (2007 & 2011) with immense help from Openers, Dilly & Tharanga (became most productive openers in WC history to date, by yielding 800 runs @ 100 Av) & in 2007 WC Tharanga made 3 x 50 including a vital knock of 73 @ 99 SR Vs Nz in the semi Final. He helped to propel SL to the Final.
It is worthwhile noting the fact that Kusal Perera was given a free lease, broader than the sky, to fly over the moon with kind courtesy of SJ. as any of his competitors were not even considered for squads (in all series he played to date in England, BD, in Sharjah & in SL, Vs Eng etc).
But on the other hand, in the solitary occasion (since 2013) that UT was considered as the first choice opener (on paper), at the beginning of Indian series, strangely KJP was also somehow included in the squad as the 3rd Opener. What happened next with Openers partnered Dilshan & KJP collecting under 10 runs from alll of his innings to suffer a 5-0 whitewash is history now.
- Even Sunil Gavaskar questioned the logic behind sending back Upul Tharanga (scored 27 in 1st ODI) just after allowing a solitary match (who was even the highest scorer in the warm up match scoring 70 odd runs).
In the backdrop of above scenario, thought of sequencing UT’s blocked voyages over past decade:
2009: 13 in /523 r/ 40 Av/1 X 100 – 4 X 50 – UT was dropped for 6 months – due to 2-Odis lean-period in Jan.
2010: 22 in /707 r/ 37 Av /1 x 100*-5 x 50 – dropped again for 5 months – due to 2-Odis lean-period in Jan, despite scoring 100*+ .
2011: 21 in /826 r/ 46 Av /4 x 100 -2 x 50
2012: 26 in /752 r/ 30 Av / 8 x 50
2013: 11 in/287 r/ 28 Av – 1 x 100
2014: Just 5 Random innings months apart / 111 r/ 22 Av (seems like a deliberate move to tarnish his record, without providing any substantial window to settle)
2015: Just 4 Random innings months apart / 68 r / 17 Av (seems like a deliberate move to tarnish his record without providing any substantial window to settle)
2016: 10 in/ 214 r/31 Av – 2 x 50 (sending to bat all over from No 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 in the tail)
2017: 25 in/ 1,011 r/ 48 Av – 2 x 100 – 6 x 50 ( First decent opportunity with consecutive matches he got after facing 5yrs of virtual pause of his career – He got back his regular spot to open 4.5 yrs) Most productive year of his entire career.
- Former England skipper Nasser Hussaine questioned the logic of sending an experienced top order batter like Tharanga in the tail to bat lower down@ No7 …when he was stranded without partners with an unbeaten 50+ & another 40 @ well above 100+ SR in those matches SL lost due to slow & low batting of entire top order.
- Probably in response to that comment, Tharanga was sent to bat as tail ender No-9 in the series followed in Ireland (by Angelo Mathews & selectors on tour).
This was the pathetic story in 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 leading to the shameful Pandora’s Box seen today… ! After Averaging 45 in previous 8 innings before undergoing an inactive period of 6 months without matches …
Just 8 innings of a lean patch followed was sufficient to axe the guy who made the most runs, tons & topped the averages as OPENER In SL ODI Cricket during past 5 years despite such mutilations…. for another 5 months without any International matches!
Then he fought hard & regained his position by scoring heavily in BPL & SL-A …. but to be benched again after a solitary match Vs SA in current series.
With the latest in SA, SL suffered the 5th consecutive ODI series loss, since the solitary series win brought by Tharanga’s match winning inning in the final & record equaling 7 catches taken in the triangular played in BD in 2018.
Have you ever heard of this kind of a shameful Pandora’s box opened due to a mutilation of an Opener in World Cricket ?