Shortly after South Africa toppled England, another South African in another part of the world was being hugged by the players of the team he now coaches. Gary Kirsten’s India has just enjoyed an emphatic win over Sri Lanka in Galle. Last week in Colombo, the local team handed India a serious thrashing. Now the tables have been turned and all hinges on the third and final Test in a few days time.
The second Test result illustrates the major changes in fortune which are possible in sport and certainly in cricket. What price is form? In Colombo Sri Lanka was dominant and although the Galle Test was even at times in the early days, by journey’s end India had inflicted a crushing victory.
One player who must take particular pride in his performance is Virender Sehwag. To make a double century and then a half century on the turning pitch at Galle, against an attack which included the world’s greatest wicket-taker and upcoming spin-whiz Ajanta Mendis, must give the Indian opener an enormous amount of pride. To see his team turn around its fortunes was the icing on the cake.
Although Murali was an important strike bowler for the locals, it was India’s spin-king Harbhajan Singh who finished the match with ten wickets. Even the great Sri Lankan must have been impressed by his opponent’s success.
Why do teams produce such contrasting results in consecutive Tests? How can one team play so well one week and be beaten decisively the next? Team selection is obviously a factor but there were no wholesale changes. And how important is psychology? Do coaches and others work on the mind of their players and thus inspire or induce them to play out of their skins? Does complacency play a part?
These matters are for fans and commentators to ponder in the next week. What matters though is the re-match in a few days. How will Sri Lanka react to their loss? Their captain believed it was their batsmen who let down the side.
And those locals will have to face the confident Harbhajan with his haul of ten and India’s up and coming pace man, Ishant Sharma. A few months ago in Australia, the tall Indian quick showed he was already an excellent cricketer with what some regard as that dreaded tag, potential. But India’s victory in Galle was indeed helped by the long-haired fast bowler. His height allows him to extract bounce from the flatter sub-continent wickets. His raw pace adds even more power to his arsenal. Confidence is an invaluable asset and Ishant Sharma’s performance in the second Test must have his confidence stocks at an all-time high.
One can’t help but feel the two great players in Muttiah Muralitharan and the little maestro Sachin Tendulkar will have some say in the deciding Test. Their distinguished careers are far from over and cream they say does rise to the top.
So it’s back to Colombo for the third and final Test starting on August 8. Will the pendulum swing again? It would take a brave man to forecast the man of the match let alone the result.
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