Sports
The Asia Cup jinx
by Rex Clementine
In 1983, in New Delhi, some of cricket’s famous names such as S.K. Wankhede (India), M.A. Chidambaram (India), I.S. Bindra (India), Jagmohan Dalmiya (India), Gamini Dissanayake (Sri Lanka), Nuzki Mohammad (Sri Lanka), Abdul Rahman Bukhatir (UAE) and Air Marshal Nur Khan (Pakistan) came together to form the Asian Cricket Council. The Asian bloc at that point had little clout with England and Australia enjoying veto powers and step by step they worked meticulously to shift the power base back to Asia. The Asia Cup was a result of this.
If Mr. Gamini Dissanayake was living, he would have wondered whether all this trouble was worth as eventually India grabbed all the power and started dominating world cricket. Some say, rather unkindly, that Mr. Dissanayake helped create a monster. But, the visionary leader he was, he wouldn’t mind this. He would rather have friends at CCI (Cricket Club of India) than at Lord’s.
When the schedule for the current Asia Cup was announced, it was no secret that the organizers and Star Sports, who owned the television rights wanted three India-Pakistan games. Since the 2019 World Cup, the format and in the Asia Cup they were guaranteed to meet twice – in the first round and in the Super Four stage. There was a possibility of a third India – Pakistan game as well if these two teams progressed to the finals.
However, Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka had other ideas as Pakistan were beaten in a last ball thriller.
Everyone wants to see an India – Pakistan final in the Asia Cup. Eyeballs for the big game means millions of US$ through television revenue. But the jinx is that since the inception of Asia Cup, 15 tournaments have been conducted but not a single final has been contested by India and Pakistan. So, this time too Asia Cup doesn’t have a final between the region’s two powerful nations. Every time Sri Lanka are spoiling the organizers plans.
Sri Lanka have now featured in 12 Asia Cup finals while India have been there on ten occasions with Pakistan featuring in only five finals.
It has been a tough few years for Sri Lankan cricket no doubt and there is overwhelming evidence that we are coming out of the gloomy days. Young players like Dunith Wellalage, Charith Asalanka, Maheesh Theekshana and Pathum Nissanka have become crucial members of the Sri Lankan side.
While Wellalage was the cynosure of all eyes against India early this week, Asalanka stole the limelight on Thursday as the game went on well past mid-night. We have been promised great things by both players, two former Sri Lanka Under-19 captains and they are delivering the goods. With World Cup around the corner, these are good signs as well.
Kusal Mendis was under pressure leading up to the tournament following a string of low scores. But he’s played some blinders and two match winning knocks has not only assured his place in the side but put Sri Lanka in the finals too.
With two needed off the last ball in what was a virtual semi-final against Pakistan, any other player would have looked for a big hit to take his team through with the entire nation watching. But such is Asalanka’s maturity, he smartly clipped Zaman Khan behind square for a couple to seal the game having spotted the vacant area.
India will be strong in Sunday’s final and are favourites to win the title. Sri Lanka nearly beat them in the second-round game in a low scoring thriller and here’s another opportunity for them to create a major upset.
Ticket prices sensibly were brought down and RPS will be packed on Sunday hoping for a grand show by their team.
Given the challenging group they were in, people even doubted whether the Sri Lankan side will go beyond the first round after their bowling attack was completely depleted. But how well they have fought, keeping their nerves and pulling off some crunch games. Irrespective of what happens on Sunday, there’s hope for the fans to believe that their team will do something special in the World Cup later this year.
by Reemus Fernando
Supun Chathura of Welimada Central and Tharindi Chamalka of Nuwara Eliya High School claimed the boys’ and girls’ titles at the All-Island Schools Games Half Marathon, held in Colombo on Sunday.
Chathura won the boys’ race in a notable 1:14.51. Sameesha Nimsath of St. Pope Paul the Sixth MV, Gampaha, took second in 1:16.40, while Suranga Lal Kumara of Pussadewa Secondary School, Batagolla, clinched third in 1:16.42.
In the girls’ category, Chamalka won in 1:28.56. D.M.S. Nimsarani of CWW Kannangara MMV, Matugama (1:31.09), and W.S.C. Priyadharshani of President’s College, Ambagasdowa (1:33.10), finished second and third respectively.
The 21.0975-kilometre race, sponsored by Nestomalt, started at the Ministry of Education in Battaramulla. It passed through Polduwa Junction, Parliament Road, Ape Gama Junction, Kimbulawala Junction, Thalawathugoda, Hokandara Junction, Arangala Junction, Koswatta and Battaramulla Palanthuna Junction before returning to the starting point.
Girls winners (from left)D.M.S. Nimsarani (2nd), Tharindi Chamalka (first) and W.S.C. Priyadharshani
Pat Cummins outfoxed a lacklustre South Africa batting-order on a relatively benign Durban surface, while Steven Smith continued to showcase his mastery in the slips as Australia eyed a big first innings lead in the opening Test.
Outstanding bowling and fielding suffocated South Africa, who appeared set to be bowled out before tea on day three until a rearguard from Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer halted Australia’s push.
Cummins has been at his best, consistently challenging the batters as he regularly hit speeds of 140kph and above. He had 3-54 from 15 overs by tea, with all four frontline bowlers having taken wickets.
Smith backed up the bowlers by claiming three sublime catches, which lifted him past Joe Root for the most Test catches by a non-wicketkeeper.
With great anticipation, Smith moved into position to snare skipper Temba Bavuma, who had unfurled a reverse-sweep off Nathan Lyon. Smith then pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss David Bedingham, diving across first slip – it was No. 221 of his Test career.
Maaz Sadaqat crashed 96 off 51,Sahibzada Farhan clobbered 73 off 44, and Pakistan scorched their way through the last 12 overs of their innings to mount a fearsome total of 215 for 3. Pakistan reaped 156 runs just in the last 12 overs of their innings, as a 73-run stand between Sadaqat and Farhan was followed by a manic 72-run partnership between Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz.
Sri Lanka’s batting was woeful in response. They slumped to 64 for 5 by the 11th over, with none of their top seven managing to get to 30. They limped to 133 for 7, having had their hopes of leveling the series wrecked by quicks Mohammad Imran and Salman Mirza, who took five wickets between them.
Sadaqat propels Pakistan into the stratosphere
The openers had laid a decent platform with Pakistan having got to 55 for 1 by the end of the seventh over. But it was Sadaqat who injected the energy that truly set Pakistan on course to their mammoth total. Having gone at less than a run a ball in his first eight balls, Sadaqat unleashed a spectacular lofted square drive off Eshan Malinga to collect his first six, before pumping the same bowler down the ground later in the 10th over.
Sadaqat would go on to clobber six further sixes and five further fours. The big hits tended to come down the ground, while his fours were more square of the wicket. Of the 125 runs Pakistan plundered in the second half of their innings, 79 off 40 came from Sadaqat, who pummeled both pace and spin with equal relish. Off the sixteenth over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, Sadaqat thumped three sixes in the arc between long on and midwicket.
Sadaqat, whose previous top score in three T20Is had been 50, could have gone to triple figures off the last ball of the innings, but holed out to deep cover instead, unable to quite find the power to lift a Malinga slower ball over the ropes. He had utterly dominated the middle and late overs, however.
Farhan sets the tone
On another flat Rawalpindi deck, Farhan made the first big charge, although he waited until spin came on to really get into high gear. Theekshana was one of his main victims as well. Farhan’s first six came from a slog sweep off Theekshana in the seventh over, before he launched the same bowler over wide long on and cow corner off successive balls in the ninth over. Getting to his 12th T20I fifty off the 31st ball he faced, Farhan began to aim big blows off the seamers as well. He was caught at deep third off the bowling of Dasun Shanaka, in the 15th over.
Sri Lanka stumble in the powerplay
An excellent Salman Mirza bouncer took the glove of Lahiru Udara in the first over, ending the innings of one of Sri Lanka’s few form batters for a mere five runs. And although Sineth Jayawardena – playing his first international in a full-strength Sri Lanka side – hit three consecutive boundaries in the third over, Sri Lanka were unable to build up any momentum in the powerplay. By the end of the sixth over, they had laboured to 35 for 2.
Imran’s spell lights up the middle overs
A full house in Rawalpindi was treated to some excellent fast bowling by Imran, who finished with the game’s best figures of 3 for 11 from his four overs. Having got Jayawardena to top-edge a desperate pull shot at the end of his second over, Imran had Kusal Mendis caught behind off a slower delivery, before two balls later (a wide in between), he took Sahan Arachchige’s edge with a quick delivery angled across the left-hander. Wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay made two diving grabs to convert these chances in the eighth over.
All through his unbroken spell, Sri Lanka’s batter struggled to so much as hit Imran off the square, despite the good batting conditions on offer. Imran mixed up his pace, frequently going to slower balls, but his line and length control were also excellent through the spell. When he finished his unbroken spell at the end of the 10th over, Sri Lanka’s required rate had climbed past 15.
Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Theekshana struck some late boundaries, but by the time they came to the crease, Sri Lanka did not have a realistic shot at levelling this series. They lost by 82 runs in the end.
Scores:
Pakistan 215 for 3 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Fakhar Zaman 22, Maaz Sadaqat 96, Hasan Nawaz 19*; Maheesh Theekshana 1-55, Eshan Malinga 1-41,Dasun Shanaka 1-30) beat Sri Lanka 133 for 7 (Sineth Jayawardena 22, Kamnbdu Mendis 23, Chamindu Wickremasinghe 29, Maheesh Theekshana 32*; Salman Mirza 2=28, Mohammad Imran 3-11, Saim Ayub 1-19, Shadab Khan 1-19) by 82 runs
[Cricinfo]
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