Dhananjaya De Silva underlines solid technique in lost cause

Monday, September 12, 2016 - srilankacricket.lk

ShriyanOb03 In a lost cause, new find Dhananjaya De Silva underlined a batting artistry to endure for the future of Sri Lanka cricket. Australia won the fifth ODI by 4 wickets Friday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, but De Silva’s 50-ball 62 studded with 5 boundaries saw the 25-year old youngster, who cut his teeth in the game from Debarawewa Central, Hambantota, display the type of classical finesse of a complete batsman equipped with solid technique. His eye, bat coordination in meeting the ball displayed a perfect straight bat and his driving on the on and off was so regal somewhat reminiscent of Marvan Atapattu. Only, De Silva enjoys a longer reach than Atapattu which gives him greater depth advantage of stroke play. What is more, his soft hands use exemplified by an ever so fractionally late execution of tapping the ball just about 3 inches off the turf in gliding it past slips was meticulously beautiful to the eye. In effect, the lean and lanky right hander typified exemplary deftness in the use of the willow.

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Significantly, Dhananjaya De Silva’s innings was one of authority and the youngster, figuring in only his fifth appearance on the big stage of international cricket in the biff bang game, deserves all the accolades. That is given the lone cause he carried for Sri Lanka as wickets kept tumbling like nine pins. This is best demonstrated by the fact that nine of the batsmen failed to reach double figures, the other exception being opener Kusal Janith Perera who made 22 upfront off 18 balls.
On a day Australia made a total domination of Sri Lanka on the back of another solid all-round display by all-rounder Glen Maxwell who added to his 3 wickets with another 29-ball cameo of 66 to which the base was opening bowler Mitchell Starc’s 3 wickets, Dhananjaya De Silva single handedly underlined the value input he has brought to Sri Lanka cricket. In the game before that he was as well on song with an 87-ball 76, in that instance opening the batting. The 5 ft 8 inches tall youngster, who in later years of his school career turned out for Mahanama College, Colombo, and plays domestic cricket for Ragama Cricket Club, has indeed made a sensational entry in his baptismal days in the firmament going by his epoch century versus Australia in the victorious second Test that contributed to Sri Lanka’s historic 3-nil clean sweep of the 3-match Test series. The Sri Lankan batsmen once again fell to some faulty stroke play mainly chasing deliveries outside the off stump. It was not an auspicious going out for Tillekeratne Dilshan who chased a delivery far outside his off stump to edge one behind. Kusal Mendis was a mite unlucky to be adjudged LBW by umpire Palliyaguru to a delivery that rapped his pad on the leg stump off spinner Zampa. The TV replays indicated the ball was moving further to the leg where the batsman should have been given the benefit of the doubt. The win gave the Australians a 4-1 series triumph getting past Sri Lanka’s 128 for 9 wickets in 20 overs in consummate ease in only 17.5 overs.