Lahiru Kumara’s fiery comeback

Rex Clementine in Port Elizabeth

It’s been over 15 years since Chaminda Vaas hung up his boots, yet Sri Lanka is still in search for a fast-bowling heir to his throne. Suranga Lakmal was a trusty workhorse, racking up 171 Test wickets and even standing in as skipper on occasions. He could’ve breached the 200-wicket mark but opted for the golden handshake of a lucrative two-year deal with Derbyshire. The eternal question remains: will anyone ever replicate Vaas’ mastery? Well, Lahiru Kumara might just be the man to step up and take a crack at it.

In the second Test at Port Elizabeth, Kumara delivered a beauty to South Africa’s Aiden Markram – a ball that cut back sharply, kissing the stumps goodbye. That was his 100th Test scalp, a milestone only four other Sri Lankan quicks have reached. The boy from Kandy had arrived, and how.

Kumara’s journey to cricket was as accidental as spilling tea on a new white shirt. Originally a hockey player, a whack from a hockey stick sent him straight to Kandy General Hospital. Upon his return, his mother promptly cremated the offending stick, thus ending his hockey career. Left with no choice but to switch sports, Kumara turned to cricket. Enter Sampath Perera, the eagle-eyed scout who whisked him away to Trinity College.

From there, Kumara’s rise was swift. Representing Sri Lanka’s Under-19 side, he shone brightly in a series win in England. Coach Roy Dias, a man with an eye for talent sharper than a tailor’s needle, predicted great things for the young pacer. And soon enough, Kumara was catapulted to the senior side.

He made headlines as a 19-year-old in Cape Town, rattling South Africa with six wickets in an innings in a Test match. The pièce de résistance? Cleaning up Hashim Amla through the gate – a dismissal any bowler would frame on their wall. Graham Ford, Sri Lanka’s head coach at the time, echoed Dias’ sentiments about Kumara’s promising future.

But cricket, like life, rarely follows a straight path. That career-best performance in Cape Town remains his peak to this day. Expectations weighed heavily, and soon, Kumara’s career veered off course. The culture within the team didn’t help, with young players often left to fend for themselves. Despite consistently clocking speeds north of 140 km/h, injuries and fitness issues plagued him.

Lahiru became something of a ticking time bomb, breaking down mid-match like the Norochcholai Power Plant. Whether it was Gabba in 2019, Centurion in 2020, Pallekele in 2021, or Mohali in 2022, the story was the same—hamstring tears and disappointed teammates.

When he was sent home from last year’s World Cup in India, injuries were cited. But whispers suggested there was more to it. The authorities finally cracked the whip, giving Kumara an ultimatum to shape up or ship out. Fines rained down for failing fitness tests, and he found himself at a crossroads.

And then, 2024 happened. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes – or perhaps a fast bowler emerging from rehab – Kumara has been sensational. He’s snared 29 Test wickets in seven matches at an impressive average of 22, miles ahead of his career average of 35.

How did this turnaround come about? Enter Sanath Jayasuriya, wielding both carrot and stick with precision. While some players respond to gentle encouragement, with Kumara, it was tough love all the way. The results speak for themselves. Kumara’s fiery spells secured two Test wins in Bangladesh and a historic victory at The Oval – Sri Lanka’s first Test win in England in a decade.

In South Africa, he’s been a revelation, bowling with venom and accuracy. It’s not just wickets he’s collecting – he’s leaving a trail of bruised and battered fingers in his wake. Wiaan Mulder missed the series after copping one on the middle finger, while Ryan Rickelton soldiered on despite taking a nasty blow. Kagiso Rabada’s bat was broken to pieces from a Lahiru thunderbolt.

For once, it’s the Sri Lankan quicks dishing out the punishment rather than being on the receiving end. Watching South African batsmen taste their own medicine has been a rare delight.

Lahiru is a changed man. At training, he’s buzzing with energy, even arguing with referees during warm-up football games like an overexcited schoolboy. The High-Performance Center deserves credit for sharpening his accuracy, while the selectors have managed his workload with care.

If he continues on this trajectory, Lahiru could well be the second Sri Lankan quick after Vaas to hit the 300-wicket milestone. Now, wouldn’t that be something? The boy who swapped hockey for cricket might just carve his name into Sri Lankan cricketing folklore.