Captain. Keeper. Fielder. Batsman. Sangakkara does it all. He’s been one of my favorite players in the world since he emerged as one of the few wicketkeepers whose also consistent at bat, and the only wicketkeeper/batsman effective anywhere from opener, to 6th man down.
He’s just a sheer joy to watch. Sangakkara can make runs off any ball bowled his way, because his strikes are consistently clean, and always middled. He’ll never play a ball swinging toward the off side, to the leg side. And that kind of foresight is valuable wisdom in cricket.
Day 3, second test match vs India, Sri Lanka’s down 0 for 1, attempting to chase the monstrous 642 Indian total. Sangakkara steps in. Once opener Paranavithana fell to Sreesanth’s off side out swinger to the left handed batsman who nicked it straight into Dhoni’s hands, I guarantee Sangakkara was thinking: “shoot. I gotta hold my wicket, and be a pillar so my team doesn’t feel pressure to make an astronomical run rate”. He’s thinking like Dravid right now. But the beauty of Sangakkara is, he thinks that without having as much experience as a batsman like Dravid or Gilchrist. Sangakkara’s maturity as a batsman, captain, and keeper lie in the mere fact that if the team requires ten runs an over, he’ll do it, if they need him to hold his wicket for 100 balls, he’ll do it: he does what it takes to win. He’s dependable, consistent and although he’s out early on today, it’s not his norm.
Sri Lanka’s down 216 for 8 with impressive bowling by Sreesanth, and India’s opening lineup unleashed a batting onslaught giving them tremendous pace early on.
Sehwag’s seemingly constant ODI mindset was a blessing and Gambhir played magnificent innings, collectively chalking up 297, which eased pressure on following batsman to play their regular game. The openers did their job, and in any match, be it ODI, 20Twenty or Test, that’s key. I suppose this is just the flip side of the first test match. Sri Lanka dominated leaving India with the option to draw if not face an innings defeat, and it looks like we may see Sri Lanka in that position today.
Zainab B. Jeewanjee
Zainab Jeewanjee 