Kusal Janith and Malinga insulate Sri Lanka in T20 ascendancy
Sri Lanka continued it’s on song success in the fast fad hamburger T20 form sweeping aside Bangladesh by six wickets in the opening game at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday in the 2-match opening game. For a nation on whom the local critics had frowned on in a shameless tinge of delight when Sri Lanka lost a Test match to the minnows, Tuesday’s result was a slap in the face; a slap in the face in the wake of the final ODI win at the SSC in underwriting the fact that cricket in Sri Lanka has not died a cold death as some fourth estate scribes made out.
In effect, this T 20 triumph on the back of Lasith Malinga’s 2-wicket bowling prowess that decimated Bangladesh from the first over loss of their main batsman Tamim Iqbal for a duck, to a whirlwinds 77 by opening batsman Kusal Janith Perera, thrust Sri Lanka on a T20 high; a T20 high in on the trot series triumphs with the deputising Upul Tharanga’s charges notching overseas back to back series wins over South Africa and Australia.
What was defining to the Sri Lankan cause was the marked return from long injury sidelining of Lasith Malinga whose two wickets yesterday reflected the super man stuff the island nation is renowned for producing. Like it did Sanath Jayasuriya, the ‘over the top’ record basher who showcased Sri Lanka’s ability to produce new dimension match winners, Malinga is another in that breed whose ability with the ball did transcend the sidearm fast bowler as the ‘slinger’ who basks in an elite hat-trick hall of fame. It was another clinical performance in a home tour that Sri Lanka, towards the tail-end of it had wrested away the control Bangladesh enjoyed at the start of the Test series. The comprehensive victory, like in the final ODI at the SSC, saw Sri Lanka literally bounce back in an initiative wrenching aroma. When Bangladesh batted first, the home team was quick to demonstrate its weaponry of superman stuff in slinger Lasith Malinga quickly signaling his match winning single handed depth. That was when he sent back star batsman Tamim Iqbal for a second ball duck. His 2 for 38 was the pick of the Lankan bowlers in a comeback journey from long injury sidelining that started in Australia. Significantly, Malinga did transcend in to recapturing his toe crushing form as the ODI world record breaker did play a positive wicket taking role in Sri Lanka’s T20 series triumph over the Aussies. Back at home Malinga, fighting rustiness towards regaining his old fire, did showcase making a fast return to his old form. As it is, Bangladesh, having lost its play maker batsman, did lose its way slipping to 3 for 57 and 5 for 82 before the sixth wicket partnership of 57 between Mosaddek Hossain (34 n.o.) and Mahmudullah (31) steered the total to 155 for 6 wickets in 20 overs.
Sri Lanka’s run pursuit was built around a dashing 65-run first wicket alliance between Kusal Janith Perera and skipper Upul Tharanga. Perera, who made a blistering return to the fold from a 2-match on field spat related ICC suspension in a 53-ball cameo, sent the Bangladesh pace attack to the cleaners with Tharanga lending measured solidarity. When Tharanga departed for 24, the duo had posted 65 in only 6.5 overs. Kusal Janith Perera’s knock containing nine boundaries and a six, was a batting storm that took the wind out of Bangladesh, and when the left hander was fourth out the total read 147 for 4 in 18.1 overs. He had taken his side to the brink of victory. The win did underline Sri Lanka’s ascendancy in the shortest version slap bang hamburger game. It was an assertion of the island nation’s flair for calling the shots in cricket’s rip roaring form that has taken the game to a new planet for the nerve tingling instant action T20 cricket has evolved in to.
By Srian Obeyesekere
-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-
