Will the real Sri Lanka please stand up?

On his day, Sri Lanka custodian Niroshan Dickwella can be a handful. His Adam Gilchrist-esque style of batting, wielding the cricket bat like a fencing pro is invaluable to the Islanders. Perhaps Sanath Jayasuriya would be proud. The other end of the spectrum has a very fidgety Indian skipper. Of course, we see a smile on his face coupled with a few giggles here and there. However, this is subject to the performance of his rock stars on the field.

The conundrums off the field have been plentiful for Mr Kohli. All things said it has left him and his growing Indian side at an enviable position. They are undoubtedly the best in the world when it comes to cricket. But under the shades of tint covering his eyes, Kohli’s well-defined brow is patched up with a distinctive frown. A day and a half into the third Test match and the series is in the bag. As things stand, Dickwella and his skipper Chandimal have added their 50-run contribution as a pair. Kohli’s measures are quite clear. It is far from the halves that most settle for these days.

Dickwella is the quintessential samurai of the Lankan batting order. There is a cocktail of turn and swing in the Pallekele wicket. Yet, the conditions do not seem to matter all that much to him. He sweeps at will. His drives invariably find their way to the fence. Ravi Ashwin’s position in extra-cover seems to be under the serious compromise. All of Dickwella’s shots seem to fly past him.

A moment of madness

Kuldeep Yadav’s impressive Test debut is about to get a lot more interesting. The young southpaw’s rise in cricket is quite well documented. All it takes is one moment of madness from Sri Lanka’s newest and brightest star ‘Niroshan Dickwella’ to hand young Kuldeep his first Test scalp overseas. However, for the Lankan keeper-batsman, it seems quite silly as Wriddhiman Saha whips the bails off.

Kohli’s tail is up as Mohammed Shami is allowed to bite once again. Kuldeep’s partnership with Shami is one that will certainly bear fruits yet again. An unassuming Dilruwan Perera walked in. Little did he know that despite all his experience on Lankan wickets, that young Kuldeep would have the edge over him. The very next over and another wrong’un from the Chinaman. Perera picks out Hardik Pandya stationed in the deep square leg. Pandya is the only fielder outside the 30-yard circle.

And before we know it, the Lankans are entirely wiped out for a paltry 135. For reasons unknown, the Lankans seem to be having the ‘first-innings’ yips from the outset. The problems were prevalent even in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

A difficult time in Test cricket

While the doldrums of their history stands quite tall and reinforced with the toughest cement in the world, Lankan cricket has been on a steady decline over the last few years. Barring the 3-0 whitewash against the Aussies in late 2016, it has been quite a difficult time in the Test match scenario. A case such as this has been seen previously with the West Indies cricket team. Of course, the Lankans can certainly present a prettier picture as compared to the Windies, but the decline has seemingly become a lot more noticeable than before.

Had gritty Legionaries in their ranks

The early 90’s showcased an up and coming Sri Lankan side built to withstand storms. The grit was there for all to see. It was in the invincible form of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva before the reins were handed over to the likes of Chaminda Vaas, Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya. They boasted of the world’s best bowler in the form of Muttiah Muralitharan whilst Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene also were the gritty Legionaries in their ranks.

The big names ensured that the silverware followed as well. Moreover, the Lankan board has been privy to a few massive names on their books in terms of management and coaching. Graham Ford’s revered coaching methods for Kent and South Africa perhaps rubbed-off on the Lankans whitewashing the Aussies in recent times. However, in two stints, Ford has not been able to instil a Sri Lankan side capable of sustaining itself beyond his coaching tenure.

World class coaching staff failed to taste the success

And there has been a lot more from where Ford came from. Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace, Nic Pothas, Chaminda Vaas, and even Marvan Attapatu have had their moments of presence in the dressing room. None of it, however, has seemingly converted to success in the form of a sustainable side that has a certain consistency about themselves.

The eventual autopsy has revealed a few astounding discoveries. A side that has been privy to such history, as well as world class coaching staff, has been left to rot in the international cricket scene that they once dominated with all their might and unparalleled grit.

Are the current crop of players not as talented as the ones from yesteryear? Of course, not. Far from it in fact, given the likes of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and perhaps even Niroshan Dickwella are the quintessential molds of the typical ‘modern-day’ players. One can also argue that the Lankans have been a side in transition. The aforementioned transition, interestingly, has lasted over 18 months and there is no end in sight.

In fact, the end of this cycle of players will witness the zenith of the careers of the likes of Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, and maybe even Angelo Mathews himself with the former being the only consistent performer in the side.

Who will take up the role?

Yet, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. Barring the fact that they certainly will take the time to establish themselves, Kusal Mendis, Lakshan Sandakan and a few others seem to be the ones ready enough to take over the mantle of the glory of Lankan cricket forward. However, in a world where instant gratification seems to be on the agenda of many, perhaps the Lankans might be the unfortunate beneficiaries of yet another transition. How long would that last is perhaps a good question for the likes of Thilanga Sumathipala (SLC President) to ponder over as young Lankan talent awaits in the labyrinth of the Domestic Cricket scene.

The Indian tour of the Island is perhaps a wake-up call for all the negativity of Lankan cricket. Perhaps one will find solace in the fact that the problem diagnosis is quite clear in the case point. Maybe the rise will hopefully be one that matches the glory of the Arjuna Ranatunga days of Sri Lankan cricket.

– Written by Abhijit Raghunathan