Lanka’s spinister move pays

There seems to be a strange kind of telepathy between skipper Mahela Jayawardene and his strike bowler Muttiah Muralitharan.

There seems to be a strange kind of telepathy between skipper Mahela Jayawardene and his strike bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. The chemistry was there to see during the Sabina Park semi-final and without doubt will have crucial impact on the final too.

Murali talks about his feeling when his captain was playing on just 22 runs from 50 balls. “When Mahela plays like that I know what is in store for the rivals. I was so sure that he will accelerate later and that’s what he exactly did,” says the man with an elephant-like memory. But this time he doesn’t quite have to exert his grey cells since Jayawardene had scored exactly the same runs in 50 balls against the West Indies earlier in the tournament and went to play a match-winning knock.

Now listen to what Jayawardene had to say what he thought about their chances of winning after they had scored 289. “We have a number of bowlers who have reduced the burden on Murali, but somehow he puts one in the comfort zone when one has that kind of score to defend,” said the skipper.

Story continues below this ad

It isn’t just a mental connection, but very much conversational too. Jayawardene talks about an intriguing discussion with his spin ace during the New Zealand inning. After his Man Friday Dilshan had taken the crucial wicket of the in-form batsman Scott Styris, Jayawardene walked up to Murali. Before he could say anything the leggie said: “why don’t we have a go at these guys now?”

The captain’s eye lit up as a few close in fielders were soon giving company to the batsmen. “Murali took two wickets in the over,” says the Lankan skipper in almost disbelief.

It is this confidence between the seniors in the side that has had a big role to play in them reaching the finals. With wealth of experience between them they have very well understood the way to play the modern one-day game. And it has even rubbed on to the juniors in the team.

After Sanath Jayasuriya was out early, Upul Tharanga quickly wore the mask of the dashing opener. As for Jayawardene, who says that he has matured as a cricketer in the last couple of years because of the responsibility of captaincy and coach Tom Moody’s constant pushing, he very well knew that old one-day formula that “with wickets in hand, runs can be scored later.”

Story continues below this ad

The cameos by Chamara de Silva and Dilshan and later by Russell Arnold meant Jayawardene wasn’t under intense pressure to step on the gas.

While bowling Murali knows when to attack and when to go all out, defence doesn’t figure in his tactics. With the likes of Malinga and Vaas to soften up the top, the job has become easier for the veteran World Cupper.

In 1996 Sri Lanka defined cricket, and this time around they just might do it once again. But for that to work they will have to face their biggest test in Barbados on April 28.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka: S Jayasuriya b Franklin 1, U Tharanga b Vettori 73, K Sangakkara c Fleming b Franklin 18, M Jayawardene not out 115, C Silva lbw b Bond 21, T Dilshan lbw b Oram 30, R Arnold not out 14

Extras (lb3, w9, nb5): 17; Total (for 5 wkts, 50 overs): 289

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-67, 3-111, 4-152, 5-233

Story continues below this ad

Bowling: Franklin 9-1-46-2, Bond 10-1-59-1, Oram 10-0-60-1, Vettori 10-0-51-1, Patel 10-0-62-0, Styris 1-0-8-0

New Zealand: P Fulton c Silva b Muralitharan 46,S Fleming lbw Malinga 1,R Taylor lbw b Vaas 9,S Styris c Jayawardene b Dilshan 37,J Oram c & b Muralitharan 3, McCullum c Silva b Muralitharan 0,C McMillan b Jayasuriya 25, D Vettori lbw b Muralitharan 0,J Franklin not out 30,S Bond b Muralitharan 2,J Patel c Fernando b Dilshan 34

Extras (b5, lb2, w8, nb6): 21; Total (all out, 41 overs): 208

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-32, 3-105, 4-114, 5-114, 6-115, 7-116, 8-144, 9-149, 10-208

Bowling: Vaas 8-1-25-1, Malinga 7-2-21-1, Fernando 5-0-45-0, Muralitharan 8-0-31-4, Jayasuriya 9-0-57-2, Dilshan 4.4-0-22-2

Man of the match: Mahela Jayawardene