Australia v Sri Lanka – A one sided affair!

This July is serving as a balm for the fan of Test cricket for until May, this fan was mourning the perhaps depleted and outgoing fashion of the 5-day game of cricket as the world was celebrating the fast-paced revolution of the 20-over game and dancing to the tunes of the Caribbean “champions”.

That particular fan is now a rejuvenated self for he’s able to witness 6 cricketing giants engage in a series of 5-day battles of wits and perseverance as 3 bilateral Test series have are just about going on in 3 different continents. Some are deemed to be one-sided affairs while others are poised for a dramatic finish and still, others are facing the hyped build-up to the contest about to start.

Now I shall build upon the extreme latter. Come tomorrow and Australia take field against Sri Lanka in what can be called, a “home away from home” of sorts as Sri Lanka has been nothing short of a hunting ground for the Aussies which is surprising considering their relative lack of success in other parts of Asia, most notably India.

Looking at the statistics for Test matches played between Australia and Sri Lanka and one would be left in a confused daze as to whose home is it? In a total of 26 Tests starting from 1982 till the last bilateral Test series played between the two nations in Sri Lanka.

Also read – SL v AUS, 1st Test Preview: Australia begin as stern favorites

Australia has won a remarkable 17 compared to Sri Lanka’s solitary victory, a rather conciliatory one in the 1999 Kandy Test, a victory which saw Sri Lanka emerge victorious in a 3-match series as the next two Tests were heavily curtailed by the rain gods. More than a victory, it was rather a gift, a blessing perhaps and yet, a sign of bad things coming for the hosts as the next series in 2003-04 saw them wiped out 3-0 in a 3-match series.

The fact that a host of Australian players, some who went on to be the all-time greats of the game and others who have continued to be stuck in the gravitating loop of talented understudies have handpicked Sri Lanka as the venue blessed to witness their career best performances in the 5-day game is complemented by the conditions which are deemed to be favorable for the tourists in Sri Lanka, something which complements their already enhanced skills while not posing a hindrance to their game, as is the prevailing tradition in international cricket.

These factors range from matters of climate, pitch conditions, mentality and history to the relaxed calm of the island nation. Adding to that I assume would be the hospitality of the island dwellers, something which is reciprocated in the form of sledging when the hosts become the visitors in Australia!

Unlike the Indian wickets which force the Australian pacers to break their backs while trying to extract any sort of bounce and pace from the seemingly lifeless wickets, the Sri Lankan pitches are known to produce the effects counter-indicative of the region’s demography.

Also read – I am doing a professional job: Muttiah Muralitharan

The wickets have very often been known to produce the extra swing and bounce desired by pacers; most famously Shane Watson and Ryan Harris capitalized here in 2011. Apart from these obvious facts which are visible to the naked eye of the spectator, there is a sort of a psychological stronghold that the Australians have over their Sri Lankan counterparts.

The last bilateral series between the two sides was played in 2013 and had the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera in the batting order and yet, what was deemed to be an exciting contest turned out to be a contest between a fish and a shark!

3 years later, the Sri Lankan warhorses, Jayawardene and Sangakkara have slipped into their retired lives and Sri Lanka has all odds stacked up against them, they have slipped to 7th in the Test rankings and are facing the No.1 ranked team.

History doesn’t bode well either as Sri Lanka have just lost their Test series against England while Australia hasn’t lost a single Test in their last 5 matches; they have won 4 and drawn 1. Adding to their woes is yesteryear Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan who has picked up a new hobby to spice up his post-retirement life and is coaching the Australians for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka. So if Nathan Lyon wreaks havoc, we know who to blame!

Also read – It will be a real challenge, but we’re ready to go: Steve Smith

Australia vs Sri Lanka has traditionally and historically been a one-sided affair with Australians in the favor, the competitiveness of the competition isn’t something to boast of and yet, the bilateral Test series between these two sides haven’t been devoid of significant moments on the cricket field, some beautiful and others just downright ugly.

Remember Shaun Marsh’s century on Test debut here in 2011 as the Marsh family looked on; it’s something we can categorize as beautiful. On the other hand the horrific collision between Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie, you see the video of that collision now and it seems like a work of Satan! That was something downright ugly, something which perhaps makes you cringe when you see it!

While all the indicators, statistics etc. point towards an easy outing for the visitors, we can still never be totally dismissive of a team’s chances in a series, who knows? We might be in for witnessing a fairy tale here!