India bowled, batted and fielded better than Sri Lanka, but that’s just part of the story
Sidharth Monga07-Dec-2009Review systemIndia may still have gone on to win the series 2-0, but who knows? Kumar Sangakkara believes the absence of the Umpire Decision Review System system cost his side “over 500 runs and a lot of wickets”, but that’s not the point either. The point is, in two other series going on simultaneously, the review system is – reluctantly or willingly, successfully or otherwise – being used. It is but natural for Sri Lanka to feel frustrated. Cricket is moving into an era when the on-field umpire’s word will not be final, so why be coy about it?TV rights in India are bought for exorbitant prices, and there is no way it should be the broadcasters’ responsibility to install new technology for a new system that the ICC is implementing. How much the world body, or BCCI, a part of that body, care about their own decisions is evident from this series. And in the final analysis, the umpiring decisions did hurt Sri Lanka, although Sangakkara will be the first one to admit they were outplayed too.Sri Lanka were outfieldedWhisper it lightly, but they were. By India, that too. Virender Sehwag, the Man of the Series, was the biggest beneficiary of the Jayawardenes’ generosity, both wicketkeeper and first slip dropping him regularly. The Sehwag drops alone cost them 40 in the second innings in Ahmedabad, and all of his 131 in Kanpur. Psychologically it adds up to much more than just 171 runs. Add to it the countless missed chances on the third day in Mumbai. It could be argued Sri Lanka were a defeated side by then, and they will know their dropped catches hurt them more than the umpires did. And MS Dhoni just rubbed it in at the presentation ceremony: “Our catching was very satisfying. We held on to everything that came our way.”MnM were mastered In 2008 Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis took 47 wickets between them. This time they managed 11. Mendis played only one game, and was found to not be up to scratch. Murali has never looked this mortal. At times it seemed Sehwag read the doosras not from the hand, but from the bowler’s mind. Murali’s talking of retirement was reminiscent of another offspinner’s career that Sehwag ended: Saqlain Mushtaq.Before Sehwag, there was Dravid It was Rahul Dravid who ensured India didn’t repeat their Ahmedabad disaster from last year. At 32 for 4, against the swinging ball, India had looked set for an encore. As Dravid later said, this was the most fluent he had played, and the good form would continue through the series, getting him 433 runs at 108.25.After Dravid, there was Sehwag It’s not just his 491 runs at 122.75. It’s the amount of time Sehwag gave the bowlers to take 20 wickets, it’s the demoralising effect he had on the opposition, it’s the uplifting effect he had on his team-mates. Given how the bat dominated in the series, India needed all of that.Runs, runs, runs Even from 32 for 4, India managed 385 runs on the first day in Ahmedabad. And that was one of the saner days. India would set their record for most runs in a day, and then go on and better it. Sri Lanka broke the record for most runs in a day by a side visiting India, and most runs in an innings by any side in India. Even though the series produced two results, each wicket cost 50.19 runs, and each over 3.83. That run-rate is despite three of the nine innings being played in match-saving mode.Deep point should be banned in Tests At least when Tillakaratne Dilshan or Sehwag has just walked out to open an innings. Both the captains seemed to look for excuses to set defensive fields, generally lacked imagination, and – apart from Sreesanth – fielding sides failed to pull something special out of the hat. There were full sessions when Mahela Jayawardene batted with a deep point in place, and didn’t hit a single ball in that direction.Sri Lanka are yet to win in India Or in Australia and South Africa. After all the good work that took them to No. 2 in the ICC’s Test rankings, Sri Lanka are back to square one. You’ve got to feel for Murali, the highest wicket-taker in the world by a distance, who is part of a side with lots to disprove still. The FTP hasn’t been kind either. Sri Lanka last went to South Africa in 2002, and Australia doesn’t give them more than two Tests.Sreesanth was inhabiting the wrong place all this whileIf only he gets into less trouble, and produces spells like the one in Kanpur more often. It was good to have back the man with one of the best releases in the world. It was his spell that broke the monotony of run-scoring in the series, and on a pitch that was still flat.
