Sports
DILSHAN – THERE’S BEEN NEVER ONE LIKE HIM

by Rex Clementine
A reporter once informed T.M. Dilshan that the scoop shot had brought about his downfall umpteen times and he should reconsider playing it frequently. Dilshan said that there is a 90 percent chance of him scoring a boundary off the shot and a ten percent chance of getting dismissed. He added that he would trust his instincts and play the stroke first ball in the next game if it was in the zone. True to form he did it. The reporter never gave Dilshan batting tips after that Dilshan turned 44 yesterday and many anecdotes relating to him were recalled on social media.
Four Sri Lankans have scored more than 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. The usual suspects are Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene, people hardly remember Dilshan’s name. It has been a case throughout his career. He always lived in the shadows of Mahela and Sanga. But make no mistake. He was a vital cog in the Sri Lankan wheel for more than a decade and mighty effective too.
There is nothing in cricket that he could not do. He was a prominent figure in the middle order filling in the big shoes of Arjuna Ranatunga. Then the selectors asked him to move up the order as Sanath Jayasuriya was set to bring the curtain down on his remarkable career. How did he fill these shoes? Effortless.
Dilshan played his last game for Sri Lanka two months before his 40th birthday. Even at that stage he was the team’s best fielder – by a country mile. The selectors were at ease when Dilshan was in the side as they could be flexible and experiment. He could keep wickets. He could bowl ten overs of tidy off-spin. There was nothing in the game of cricket that was impossible for him. He was a Jack of all trade and a master of them too.
Dilshan was the Hobson’s choice for captaincy in 2011. A tour of England was his first assignment. He faced many challenges. The team’s premier fast bowler retired hastily. The players arrived in England in different batches giving priority to their IPL commitments and Sri Lanka looked a team in disarray. True to form they were blown away for 82 runs in the opening Test in Cardiff to lose by an innings. It was time for Dilshan to lead from the front. He surely did in the next Test posting a career best 193 at Lord’s and in the process broke Sidath Wettimuny’s record for the highest individual score at the Home of Cricket by a Sri Lankan – a record that had stood for more than a quarter century. Ironically, it was Wettimuny who had picked Dilshan from total oblivion in 1999.
The rumblings continued. Despite the setbacks Sri Lanka won their maiden Test match in South Africa when they overcame the Proteas in Durban. Dilshan’s leadership skills should have been celebrated. Yet, he was sacked unceremoniously at the end of the tour. The then President of Sri Lanka Cricket had conspired with a senior player to remove Dilshan after the tour come what may. It was a deal, sealed at Perera Gardens.
You tend to get the feeling that some seniors were disruptive elements during Dilshan’s captaincy. Dilshan captained the side in nine Tests away from home. There was one particular senior who did not make a single half-century in those nine games. Yet, he shamelessly took up the captaincy when Dilshan was sacked.
Next up Australia. If someone did something wrong to you, you would naturally want to give them a taste of their own medicine? Not Dilshan. He came off with flying colours in Australia in the tri-nation competition finishing as the highest run getter of the tournament. Mind you this was the very next series after he had been sacked as skipper. His 513 was more than that of David Warner (506), Virat Kohli (373) et al. So next time you hear rumours questioning Dilshan’s honesty do keep in mind that Perera Gardens and not Maitland Place used to run our cricket a decade ago.
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Australia surge to clinical 2-0 series victory

Steven Smith completed an outstanding series at the helm with his 200th Test catch, but he wasn’t needed with the bat as Australia clinically sealed a rare series victory in Asia early on day four.
After wrapping up Sri Lanka’s second innings within the opening 20 minutes of the day’s play, Australia only lost opener Travis Head in pursuit of the 75-run victory target to win the second Test by nine wickets and sweep the series 2-0.
Usman Khawaja who set the tone with a double century in the first Test, finished unbeaten on 27 while Marnus Labuschagne made a fluent 26 not out in a confidence boost with his place in the side attracting some scrutiny.
Frontline spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon claimed four wickets apiece in Sri Lanka’s second innings to cap their brilliant series. They combined to take 30 of the 40 Sri Lankan wickets in the series.
It was Australia’s first Test series victory in Sri Lanka since 2011 having lost four of five matches across the 2016 and 2022 tours. Australia’s only other series victory in Asia since 2011 was in Pakistan three years ago.
The only concern for Australia will be the fitness of Smith, who looked sore in the field in what might be an aggravation of an elbow injury that he suffered ahead of the series in the BBL. But he remained on the field and was padded to bat.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of setting a tricky chase rested entirely with Kusal Mendis , who had raced to 48 in a counterattack late on day three. Resuming at 211 for 8 with a lead of 54, Sri Lanka promoted Lahiru Kumara to No. 10 after he survived 26 balls in the first innings in a 33-run last wicket partnership with Mendis.
Mendis on his second delivery of the day’s play reached his second half-century of the match, but he fell two balls later to vicious bounce from Lyon as a top-edge ballooned to fine-leg where Smith became the first Australian to claim 200 Test catches.
With Sri Lanka’s hopes dashed, the only remaining interest centered on whether Kuhnemann or Lyon would finish with a five-wicket haul. Lyon had two big lbw shouts on Nishan Peiris turned down by umpire Adrian Holdstock as Australia reviewed unsuccessfully.
Lyon’s frustrations grew after Kumara edged low down to Beau Webster at second slip only for replays to show it didn’t carry. Webster took it upon himself to end the innings when – just like late on day three – he unfurled his offspin and clean bowled Kumara on his first delivery.
It completed a strong allround match for Webster, who showcased his versatility with the ball and he also took several sharp catches.
Desperately needing early wickets, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva went straight to his offspinners and Peiris produced sharp spin, but Head pounced when the bowlers missed their lengths.
After a nervous start, Head whacked Ramesh Mendis down the ground before Khawaja hit a couple of boundaries as Australia started to cruise. De Silva had to quickly resort to left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who promptly dismissed Head off the top-edge.
With just 37 runs needed, there wasn’t a lot to gain for Labuschagne who had missed out in this series amid a century drought stretching back to the 2023 Ashes.
He eased his nerves with a superb drive to the boundary and he whacked another off Jayasuriya to bring up Australia’s 50. After a tough tour, Labuschagne had the satisfaction of hitting the winning run as Australia celebrated their first clean sweep in Asia since beating Bangladesh 2-0 in 2006.
Contests between the teams in Sri Lanka had been traditionally competitive, but Australia flipped the script with consecutive ruthless performances that felt out of the Steve Waugh era.
Their selections worked well and Australia had contributions across the board with four centurions and an attack that was all over Sri Lanka’s struggling batting-order.
Lone quick Mitchell built on his outstanding record in Sri Lanka, while Kuhnemann claimed a series-high 16 wickets at 17.18 to prove why he has been deemed so valuable in these conditions. He also showed plenty of grit to play through a sore thumb he injured in a BBL game on January 16.
After having little to do during the seam-dominated India-series, Lyon as expected shouldered plenty of responsibility and finished with 14 wickets at 22.5.
But this battle for the Warne-Muraliduran Trophy will be remembered for stand-in skipper Smith. He issued a reminder on his mastery in Asian conditions with brilliant back-to-back tons as his renaissance continues. Smith led superbly in the absence of Pat Cummins with his tactical nous coming to the fore as he made all the right moves in the field.
In contrast, Sri Lanka were bitterly disappointing in a sad end for retiring opener Dimuth Karunaratne as they slumped to their fourth straight Test defeat.
Brief scores:
Australia 414 (Carey 156, Smith 131, Jayasuriya 5-151) and 75 for 1 (Khawaja 27*, Labuschagne 26*) beat Sri Lanka 257 (Kusal 85, Chandimal 74, Starc 3-37) & 231 (Mathews 76, Kusal 50, Kuhnemann 4-63, Lyon 4-84) by 9 wickets
(Cricinfo)
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Yared Nuguse breaks world indoor mile record in New York

Little more than an hour after Grant Fisher’s historic performance in the 3000m, Yared Nuguse made history of his own at the Millrose Games, winning the Wanamaker Mile in a world record of 3:46.63* at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Saturday (8).
Just hours before the meeting began, world champion Josh Kerr announced his withdrawal from the race due to illness. But despite the Briton’s absence, the race produced a fitting climax to the world’s leading indoor one-day meeting.
Abe Alvarado paced the field through 1000m in 2:20.49, then Nuguse maintained the tempo with world road mile champion Hobbs Kessler tucked right behind. After passing through 1500m in 3:31.75, a significant improvement on his own North American indoor record, Nuguse dug deep to hold on to victory in 3:46.63. Kessler took second place in 3:46.90, also inside Yomif Kejelcha’s world indoor record of 3:47.01.
In third, Australia’s Cam Myers set a world U20 record of 3:47.48* with France’s Azeddine Habz setting a national indoor record of 3:47.56 in fourth.
[*Subject to the usual ratification procedure]
[World Athletics]
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Grant Fisher breaks world indoor 3000m record in New York

USA’s Grant Fisher broke the world indoor 3000m record at the Millrose Games, clocking 7:22.91* at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Saturday (8).
The double Olympic bronze medalist had been locked in a battle with Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker for most of the way. They passed through the first 1000m in 2:29.08, then Fisher led through 2000m in 4:58.01 before Hocker hit the front with three laps to go.
Fisher stayed close behind, then kicked hard off the final bend to win in 7:22.91, improving on Lamecha Girma’s world indoor record of 7:23.81. Hocker finished second in 7:23.14, also inside Girma’s record.
[*Subject to the usual ratification procedure]
[World Athletics]
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