Sports

The Year of Debutants

Published

4 years ago

2022/01/2

by Rex Clementine

When the big three; Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and T.M. Dilshan retired around the same time six years ago, we expected the transition to take two or maybe three years and young players to fill their big shoes. However, the transition took longer than we expected. Injuries, a fragile First Class tournament, vast gap between domestic and international cricket have seen our cricket being pushed to the doldrums. Sri Lanka’s rankings in international cricket dropped at an alarming rate. The team’s current position of seventh in Tests, ninth in ODIs and eighth in T20s sums up the sorry state of affairs. Regular finalists in ICC events are now forced to play qualifying rounds. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel in 2021. New talents emerged and the future looks bright.

Last year was the year of debutants. Despite some drawbacks, the selectors need to be commended for backing several young players. Many of them came good and are looking set to take on bigger responsibilities.

Among the debutants that Sri Lanka had in 2021, there were five standouts. Who are they, how well they fared in 2021 and what can we expect from them moving forward?

Pathum Nissanka

Young Pathum Nissanka’s story has been celebrated by everyone who cares for Sri Lankan cricket. As a schoolboy, having received a scholarship from Kalutara Vidyalaya to Isipathana College, Colombo he struggled to make ends meet. From the humblest of beginnings, the top order batsman has gone onto become a household name. He rewrote record books this year by becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a hundred on debut overseas.

Pathum looked a player ideally suited for Test match cricket. But on the recommendations of former skipper Mahela Jayawardene who joined the national team set up as a consultant coach ahead of the T-20 World Cup in UAE, the selectors took a gamble by drafting him into the T-20 squad and made him to open the innings. He was a revelation. He was told to do a Marvan Atapattu; bat through the innings while others looked for boundaries.

Not only did he bat through the innings, his primarily responsibility, but by doing so he produced match winning scores as well. His maturity during the recent West Indies series where he made three half-centuries in four innings gives us the assurance that Sri Lanka has found the perfect partner for skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.

Praveen Jayawickrama

While young Pathum was plying his trade at Kalutara Vidyalaya, a few meters away Praveen Jayawickrama was his rival at Holy Cross College. A classical left-arm orthodox spinner, who bowls with superb control, Praveen grabbed his opportunity with both hands when he was called up to Kandy as injury replacement to face Bangladesh in April.

Leading spinner Lasith Embuldeniya was injured and the selectors opted for Prabath Jayasuriya. But he failed the skinfolds test making him ineligible for selection. Backing Praveen, with just a handful of First Class games behind him, was a huge call especially against a side like Bangladesh that played spin well. But he bowled Sri Lanka to victory claiming 11 wickets on debut.

If Praveen works on a few variations he will be quite handful even when conditions do not offer much assistance.

Ramesh Mendis

Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda produce sporting talents in abundance. A lot of people seem to back Ramesh as an all-rounder because he has scored a triple hundred in First Class cricket. But do not get too excited about players achievements in First Class cricket. As an off-spinner he can go places. Someone who never gives up, young Ramesh in four Tests has already picked up 26 wickets.

Given his insatiable hunger to learn and improve, you have seen Ramesh making steady progress this year and he was Player of the Series as Sri Lanka overcame West Indies 2-0 having claimed 18 wickets.

Bigger challenges await him when the national cricket team tour India in February and it will be a good learning experience. Even the greatest spinners of the sport be it Muttiah Muralitharan or Shane Warne have had their work cut out in India and it remains to be seen how young Mendis will take up the challenge. He has been so far used as the attacking option by his captain Dimuth Karunaratne but in India, he will have to do more of a containing role.

Maheesh Theekshana

St. Benedict’s have waited for several decades to produce a Sri Lankan cricketer and that drought ended when Maheesh Theekshana debuted against Proteas this year in a home bilateral series. During the World T-20 that followed, he was entrusted to bowl during the Power Plays and he did a terrific job.

Theekshana enlisted in the Army after leaving school and has been one of their key performers. Army has invested a lot in their cricket in recent times and they are producing some match winners for the national cricket team.

As of now, Theekshana is one dimensional and he needs to work on a stock ball and the accuracy of his variations. With a bit of mystery in him, he will be quite a handful when Sri Lanka tour Australia in February.

Charith Asalanka

Perhaps the brightest of all these talents has been Charith Asalanka. Richmond College, Galle under his leadership were a formidable outfit and he was the overwhelming choice as Sri Lanka Under-19 captain.

His elevation to the senior side took longer than most expected. An intelligent and shrewd captain, he maybe not the most elegant batsman around but certainly an effective young player.

Everyone was surprised when he finished the T-20 World Cup as the team’s highest run getter. He was not even in the team management’s original plans but was Hobson’s choice. His inclusion in the side gave Sri Lanka much needed impetus and suddenly despite being forced to play the qualifying round, many were talking of Sri Lanka as dark horses.

The most impressive thing about Charith has been that he is bold. Often when a young player comes into the side the fear factor gets the better of him. Charith throws caution to the wind. The way he put away Pat Cummins in the first ball he faced against the Aussies was a treat to watch. Kumar Sangakkara is a careful man and he chooses his words even more carefully. But when he anoints someone as his successor that means we are in for some serious business. Exciting times ahead.

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Rodrigues fifty leads India’s chase after bowlers set up victory against Sri Lanka

Published

3 hours ago

2025/12/21

Priyan

Jemimah Rodrigues got off to a brisk start [BCCI]

There was a little bit of rustiness as India returned to action 50 days after becoming ODI world champions, but not so much to prevent them from registering a dominant win in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam.

Despite dew being a constant presence on a cool evening, India’s spinners rallied to keep Sri Lanka’s top order in check – even if they did not pick up wickets in a heap – thus restricting them to 121 for 6. It was a below-par total given that the dew was only going to increase as the temperatures reduced – something Harmanpreet Kaur had alluded to while choosing to chase at the toss. India made easy work of it to get home with eight wickets and 32 balls to spare, starting their road to the T20 World Cup 2026 in June on the right note.

Jemimah Rodrigues, batting for the 100th time in T20Is, struck a 14th half-century in the format to help the hosts canter. There was a mild intrigue around India’s No. 3, with Harleen Deol batting at that spot for two games in England, and Harmanpreet signaling her intent to be India’s one drop at the last T20 World Cup. But Rodrigues’ 69 not out from 44 balls should dispel any doubts India would have had.

This was India’s sixth win in ten games since being knocked out in the league stage of the 2024 iteration.

Brief scores:
India Women 122 for 2 in 14.4 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 69*, Smriti Mandhana 25, Harmanpreet Kaur 15*; Kawya Kavindi 1-20, Inoka Ranaweera 1-17) beat Sri Lanka Women 121 for 6 in 20 overs (Vishmi Gunaratne 39, Chamari Athapaththu 15, Hasini Perera 20, Harshita Samarawickrama 21; Deepti Sharma 1-20, Kranti Gaud 1-23, Shree Charani 1-30) by eight wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Sameer Minhas 172 powers Pakistan to Under-19 Asia Cup title

Published

3 hours ago

2025/12/21

Priyan

Sameer Minhas made the highest score by a Pakistan batter in Youth ODIs [Cricinfo]

Opener Sameer Minhas blitzed his way to 172 off 113 balls, setting up Pakistan’s demolition of India in thDeepeshe Under-19 Asia Cup final in Dubai. In response to Pakistan’s 347 for 8, India folded for 156 in 26.2 overs.

Minhas’ knock was the highest individual score for Pakistan, and also, the highest individual score by any batter in a final in Youth ODIs. He hit 17 fours and nine sixes during his stay, and fell in the 43rd over, finishing with a strike rate of 152.21.

In response, Vaibhav Suriyawvanshi – having scored 5, 50, 9 and 26 in tournament since his 171 against UAE – made an explosive start to India’s chase. He smashed three sixes and a four, but Ali Raza had him nicking off for 26 off 10 balls. India had reached their fifty in the fifth over and by the end of the powerplay, they were 68 for 5.

Pakistan came into the final having bowled out each of their opposing batting line-ups in the tournament. This contest was no different – four Pakistan bowlers shared wickets among them, with Raza prising out three more wickets to finish with match figures of 4 for 42.

India were reduced to 120 for 9, but Deepesh Devendran offered some late resistance with 36 off 16 balls, including six fours and two sixes. No other India batter passed 30 in the chase. India’s innings ended when Raza had Devendran holing out in the 27th over.

Earlier in the day, Devendran had copped punishment from the Pakistan batters, conceding 83 runs in his ten overs though he took three wickets at the death.

Minhas was well-supported by Ahmed Hussain – the only other batter to cross fifty in the innings. Hussain made 56 off 72 balls and added 137 for the third wicket along with Minhas.

Pakistan faced a slight slowdown in the death overs, especially once Minhas was dismissed – they only managed 71 runs in the final ten for the loss of five wickets. Devendran took three of those wickets, but his death bowling was a footnote by the time he swung for the hills in India’s chase, and was eventually caught at point.

Pakistan wrapped up a 191-run win and tuned up nicely for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup.

Brief scores:
Pakistan Under 19s 347 for 8 in 50 overs (Sameer Minhas 172, Ahmed Hussain 56, Usman Khan 35; Henil Patel 2-62, Deepesh Devendran 3-83, Khilan Patel 2-44 ) beat India Under 19s 156 in 26.2 overs (Deepesh Devendran 36, Vaibhav Suryawanshi 26; Ali Raza 4-42, Mohammed Sayyam 2-38, Huzaif Ahsan 2-12) by 191 runs

[Cricinfo]

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No Christmas miracle for England as Australia make it 3-0 to retain the Ashes in 11 days

Published

9 hours ago

2025/12/21

Priyan

Jamie Smith fell to Mitchell Starc after a flurry of runs [Cricinfo]

In the third Test, they rose again, but there was to be no Christmas miracle. Despite a gutsy fight from England’s lower order that hauled an already lost cause deep into the afternoon session of the final day, Australia held their nerve – and their catches – to seal the 2025-26 Ashes with their third victory in a row on only the 11th day of the series.

The winning moment was delivered by Scott Boland, who induced a thick edge from England’s No. 11 Josh Tongue, straight to Marnus Labuschagne at first slip, who swallowed his fourth take of a truly sensational display in the field. That left Brydon Carse high and dry on 39 not out; his efforts, alongside fighting but ultimately thwarted knocks of 60 and 47 from Jamie Smith and Will Jacks. had given England genuine hope that their performances at other key moments of the Test and the series, simply hadn’t warranted.

Labuschagne’s efforts included his second one-handed screamer of the match, this time to prise out Jacks at first slip, and it was a fitting reminder of one of the key differences between the sides. The winning margin of 82 runs was exactly the same score that Usman Khawaja had reached on the first day of the match, after being dropped by Harry Brook on 5, while the 71 runs that Travis Head made after the same fielder had reprieved him on 99 would prove to be the death knell of England’s series hopes.

And yet hope is most certainly what England had, right up until the moment it was finally snuffed out, and by a familiar nemesis.

For the first time in the series, the Player-of-the-Match award would elude Mitchell Starc, but his claim to the Compton-Miller Medal is now beyond any further discussion. On a day when Australia’s resources were stretched by a potentially series-ending injury to Nathan Lyon, Starc stepped up with the first three of the final four wickets required. His left-arm angles and command of seam and swing were able to extract rare life from an unthreatening Adelaide surface, and once armed with the harder new ball, the end was always nigh despite England’s doughtiest day’s work of the series.

The day of reckoning had dawned with 17 overs remaining until Australia’s new ball, so Lyon and Cameron Green shared the early workload to keep the senior seamers fresh. Despite some early alarms against the short ball, Smith and Jacks settled quickly into a confident stand, with Smith smashing a brace of sixes over the leg-side off spin and seam alike to whittle the requirement below 200.

It was a boon for the Barmy Army on an overcast morning, and their ever-mounting optimism reached an early crescendo midway through the day’s 11th over, when a persistent shower blew across the ground to force a 40-minute delay.

Jacks brought up the fifty stand soon after the resumption, but the biggest moment of the morning came one over later. Lyon, at fine leg, dived valiantly to intercept a Jacks pull, but was in obvious discomfort as he clambered back to his feet. It was instantly apparent that he’d damaged his right hamstring, and as the physio came out to assist him back to the dressing-room, his involvement in the series – as with his torn calf at Lord’s in 2023 – appeared to have come to an abrupt end.

That was the cue for England to step up their tempo. With the new ball looming, Smith cracked three fours in a row off the part-time spin of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, and then – having taken a few sighters as Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins re-entered the attack – decided the new ball had to travel as well.

Smith reeled off a quartet of superb, imposing boundaries – two in a row off each man, including a straight-batted launch through long-off off Cummins to bring up his first fifty of the series. But just when it seemed he’d rocked Australia back on their heels, Smith attempted one big shot too many: a wild pick-up across the line off Starc. Cummins at wide mid-on backpedalled to swallow the chance, before turning to the crowd to celebrate with a combination of triumph, and some relief.

It was all too familiar from an England point of view: opportunity not so much knocking as ding-dong-ditching, as another moment of optimism came and went with indecent haste. Jacks, however, stayed true to the methods that had served him well in adversity at the Gabba, remaining watchful outside off and dealing largely in nudged singles square of the wicket. Despite one alarming deviation from that norm – a pre-meditated whip to leg off Cummins that he was lucky not to snick to the keeper – he and Carse carried England through to lunch on 309 for 7, a deficit of 126.

Australia thought they had their breakthrough shortly after the resumption, as Cummins pinned Carse on the pad, but umpire Nitin Menon’s verdict was a shocker – the ball was shown to be missing a second middle stump, and Carse, on 15 at the time, marched on. He responded to the reprieve by planting Head’s part-time spin over deep midwicket for six, and when he flicked Boland off his pads through fine leg, he had hauled the requirement down to double figures.

Australia, however, were starting to create chances and pressure with seam at both ends, and two balls later, Starc served up a wobble-seam outside off, and Labuschagne sprung to his left at first slip to pluck a fat edge in one hand, almost out of Alex Carey’s waiting gloves.

The end was nigh. Carse was dropped by Green at second slip – standing so close to ensure every half-chance carried – and even Carey, Player of the Match for a peerless performance both in front and behind the stumps, endured a rare blemish as Archer snicked one into his elbow: had he been standing back to Boland, it would have been a regulation take.

It mattered not, however. Archer has been one of England’s batters of the series to date – which, for a No.10/11 is a damning indictment of their efforts – but this time he couldn’t be the hero. A slashing cut at Starc picked out deep point, and eight balls later, Australia’s fourth home Ashes in a row was in the bag, and once again at the earliest opportunity.

Brief scores:
Australia 371 and 349 (Travis Head 170, Alex Carey 72; Josh Tongue 4-70, Brydon Carse 3-80) beat England 286 and 352 (Zak Crawley 85, Jamie Smith 60, Will Jacks 47; Mitchell Starc 3-42, Pat Cummins 3-48, Nathan Lyon 3-77) by 82 runs

[Cricimfo]