April 5, 1999
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PAVILION END The Fall from the Top India stands to gain from group rival Sri Lanka's dismal form
In 1996 they were marvellous to watch. But let's face it, these days the world champions are at sea. The kind of injuries the Sri Lankans have gone through has depleted their side and affected their combination. The team just doesn't look well-knit. And the youngsters, though clearly gifted, don't look ready for international cricket. You can see their distress on the field. This team, who used to thrive on their fielding -- brilliant stops, amazing catches -- and then let their batting do the rest, are struggling. Against India in Nagpur they couldn't catch anything. The problem is that senior players like Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga can hardly set an example as far as fielding is concerned. As Arjuna mentioned to me the other day, "I'm getting older." Yes, but he's wise too. He must know that when a senior player wants a younger player to chase a ball closer to him, that's not helping. It's clear that once the combination of the team is broken the understanding among the players goes haywire. These changes may well be the reason that Arjuna has been unable to get his side going. You can see the frustration on his face. It has come to the point that our batsmen can pinpoint the Sri Lankan players from whom they can take easy singles. I can't remember when I last saw the Sri Lankans picking up the ball so regularly on the wrong foot and throwing off balance. (Of course, I'm not implying that my boys are perfect.) Ironically, the Sri Lankans recently dedicated a new, full-fledged gymnasium to their physiotherapist Alex Konturi in appreciation of his services to Sri Lankan cricket. Konturi did play an enormous role in getting the Lankans fit. As the World Cup approaches he has much work to do. The Sri Lankan batting approach is also very theoretical. Only Arjuna and Aravinda seem able to change their game as per the situation and carry their team. The bowling too lacks penetration and Chaminda Vaas and Muthiah Muralitharan (who's not here) have to carry too heavy a load. They had a decent bowler in Pushpakumara but hampered by injury and without someone to push him he put on weight and lost interest. Their junior-level cricket is very organised and they play a lot of matches and invite coaches from outside. Yet there don't seem to be enough players waiting in the wings. Hemantha Boteju, who made his debut against us in Nagpur, was tipped to play for Sri Lanka when I toured there with the under-19 team 1997. Both he and Ajit Agarkar performed exceptionally well on that tour, except while Agarkar was playing for India a year later, it has taken Boteju about two years to get in. Maybe Sri Lanka have taken too long to replace their old players with new ones. And though I may sound cruel, it's a blessing the Sri Lankans are struggling since they are in our group at the World Cup. But I'm not getting carried away. These guys weren't world champions for nothing. What's good news too is that Agarkar, at least in the first match in Nagpur, is back with a bang. I was worried initially but his performance against Sri Lanka was a great relief. He had his rhythm back and generated reasonable pace off a flat wicket, picking up wickets easily. Indeed as a breaker of partnerships he is invaluable to this team. How good could this boy become? I think he has realised only 50 per cent of his potential. The more he plays the more he'll develop variety and accuracy. He is also a sweet (and hard) striker of the ball and can play shots around the wicket. I don't like to exaggerate a player's qualities but I think, given the conditions and his talent, this boy could be a sensation at the World Cup. His only weakness, as he demonstrated against Pakistan in Jaipur, is a tendency to give away too many runs. I look at him as one of our main strike bowlers. But unfortunately he couldn't seem to find his rhythm or the right length and line, and instead of bowling slower went on bowling at his regular pace. The earlier he learns the better for India at the World Cup. (Anshuman Gaekwad, coach of the Indian
cricket team, will be writing a weekly column |
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