Sri Lanka is best known for its production of the finest Ceylon tea around the globe. It also is known for producing outstanding gemstones, mainly blue sapphires and rubies.
Sri Lanka unearthed two more rare gems wearing white in 21-year-old Kusal Mendis and Lakshan Sandakan, the latter a debutante, who produced a glittering display which blinded the Australians into submission in Kandy.
Although the performances of Mendis and Sandakan were instrumental in giving the Islanders an unlikely first up Test win, they needed the assistance of ageless warrior Rangana Herath to pull off the unexpected.
This trio brought the world number one to their knees, and in doing so, breathed fresh hope for Sri Lanka cricket. It was also only the second time that the Lankans have beaten Australia in a Test, the last being in 1999 when Sanath Jayasuriya led a strong Sri Lankan side to victory over Steve Waugh’s Australians, also in Kandy.
Berated and belittled by their numerous fans worldwide and at home after successive drubbings in the recent past from India, Pakistan, New Zealand and England, the Lankans looked like lambs to the slaughter against the might of the Steve Smith-led Australians.
But they roared to pull off a sensational upset that will stir the cock-a-hoop Aussies into refocusing and treating them with the respect of a real competitor.
A match winning bowling performance by Herath bamboozled the Australian batsmen with his cunning and guile, ending up with a bag of 9 for 103.
The retirements of Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, and Tillekeratne Dilshan left a gaping void in the Sri Lankan ranks. Expected successors Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, and a few others failed to live up to expectations, and the future looked bleak for the islanders in their hope to stay competitive with the world’s best.
Only skipper Angelo Matthews and Herath looked equipped to be among the country’s elite. Young Kusal Mendis announced his arrival just at the right time.
Mendis was a study of maturity and concentration for a 21-year old as he took on and mastered the world class Australian bowling attack, smashing a fabulous 176. His innings proved the difference between the two teams in the end as he helped his country to a more than competitive 268 run lead that was always going to be a big ask for anyone on the sub-continent in the fourth innings.
His hoisting of Nathan Lyon for six to bring up his century was pure controlled aggression and had a striking resemblance of his predecessor Mahela Jayawardena.
If he continues in this vein, Sri Lanka’s search for a solid number three appears covered.
The other revelation was left arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan whose prodigious flight and turn had the Aussie batsmen in a quandary as he befuddled them with more variation than the rest of the more accomplished spinners of both teams.
Sandakan’s effort which netted him seven wickets in the match was the third best by a Sri Lankan bowler on debut.
He will be a handful to batsmen worldwide due to the amount of turn he generates and with a bit more variation could emerge as one of the best left arm spinners in the game if his talent is nurtured to its fullest.
Still, Sri Lanka’s cricket administrators need to pull their heads in and work with a common interest of lifting the country’s profile rather than be distracted by events that do not concern them such as who is helping whom in the opposition ranks.
The storm in a teacup stirred up regarding Mutthiah Muralidaran’s role as an Australian bowling consultant was unwarranted and a definite distraction as to where the actual focus should have been.
The Aussies will regroup and come back hard in the next two Tests in a true show of the grit that has made them the world number one ranked team so the Lankans need to be wary that they cannot afford to sit back on their laurels of a first up win.
Unlike all predictions when this series began, it now points to a riveting series as the two teams go at each other to try and secure a series win.
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