Dravid a subtle but effective leader

In both games Rahul Dravid led from the front and batted with calm assurance. Dravid’s captaincy, though more subtle and controlled than Ganguly’s, was equally effective.

When he was defending a modest total against us, he set challenging and attacking fields at every opportunity to dismiss batsmen and make run getting doubly difficult.

The toss, usually so important on the subcontinent, was a lottery in both games. The Dambulla pitch is temperamental and earlier encounters and experiences don’t count for much.

As far as these two games are concerned, three things stood out: the professional and glorious batting of Rahul Dravid; the artistry of Murali, the greatest spinner in cricket; and the inopportune injury to Sanath.

Murali’s mastery and guile has put to rest any speculation as to his form and fitness. One felt sympathy for Suresh Raina for failing to contend with a perfectly bowled doosra. The same delivery has bamboozled many more illustrious batsmen.

The bad news for us of course was Sanath’s injury. We went into the game with six batsmen and now we were without our spearhead. But this also offered an opportunity for the team to assume more collective responsibility and it served only to strengthen our resolve. With the required target a modest 200, India had to bowl us out. Walking out to bat with Marvan, I was aware that the pitch under lights would have to be re-assessed. The swing found by Irfan Pathan reinforced the notion.

I managed to whip two fours to the square leg boundary, and was lulled into a false sense of security. I paid for it by being trapped plumb in front, guilty of playing across my front pad.

In Pathan, India have found a worthy replacement for Javagal Srinath. A workhorse bowler, Pathan has a knack for picking up wickets and has quickly established himself as one of India’s premier swing bowlers. His vibrant and aggressive attitude makes him a challenge I look forward to later this season.

With wickets falling regularly the advantage in the match swung like a pendulum. Yet Sri Lanka’s victory was sealed with courage, brilliance and character. Courage in the form of Sanath striding out, his heavily strapped shoulder injected with painkillers, to guide us home with a seasoned hand. Instead of a swashbuckling opener we saw a calm and determined individual fighting through serious pain to see his side to victory.

With Sri Lanka having drawn first blood it is back to the drawing board for both sides. Our game tomorrow will mark the end of the first round robin. We will meet India on Wednesday, so regrouping is as important in victory as in defeat.

Even though we won our first game, we made the run chase harder than it should have been. There is room for improvement in all three departments of our game. For a side like India, the defeat was a minor setback. They have the talent and the resources to come out stronger and our next confrontation will be tougher.

Nevertheless, for the Indian team, who draw their motivation and inspiration from a “billion reasons”, there will be criticism.(Gameplan)