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Kumar Sangakkara: A wonderful ambassador for Sri Lanka
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Kumar Sangakkara is a modern-day
cricketer with old-fashioned values. Wrapped in classicism, his
left-handed batting thrives during adversity. His probing mind spots
and exploits chinks, creates openings out of nowhere.
He appreciates the game’s history and tradition. Much like the
legendary Adam Gilchrist — |
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Sangakkara calls
him the path-finder for wicket-keeper batsmen — he is a ‘walker’.
The island nation has followed its 2-0 triumph in Tests with a winning 3-0
lead over Younus Khan’s men in the ODIs.
The Lankan surge — the side also reached the final of the World Twenty20
in England — reflects the side’s indomitable spirit. It has been an
incredible story of courage and commitment after the terror strike on the
side at Lahore in March this year.
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The Lankans have been lucky to have someone with
Sangakkara’s glittering qualities at the helm after Mahela
Jayawardene chose to abdicate captaincy to focus on batting.
Like Jayawardene, Sangakkara is smart tactically; he reads the flow
of the game in a jiffy, can be pro-active. |
Perhaps, Sangakkara’s cricket has an
added streak of aggression.
The man from Kandy proved remarkably flexible with his methods
during Lanka’s Test triumph. The injury to off-spinning wizard
Muttiah Muralitharan was a major blow to the side ahead of the first
Test at Galle.
The decision to include left-arm spinner Rangana Herath made sense
since the Pakistani middle-order was packed with right-handers.
Herath bamboozled the Pakistanis, mixing the one spinning away with
the deadly arm-ball.
It was a series where Sangakkara surprised the Pakistanis with his
bowling combinations. Beginning the decisive fourth day at Galle
with left-arm paceman Thilan Thushara and Herath — chasing 168,
Pakistan started at 71 for two — proved a masterstroke.
Herath struck with his first delivery, drifting one into Mohammad
Yousuf and the sluice gates had been opened. In a dramatic
turnaround, Lanka won by 50 runs.
Then, when Pakistan had staged a stirring fightback led by Fawad
Alam in the second innings of the second Test at the P. Sara
Stadium, Sangakkara handed the second new ball to Herath.
Once again, the left-arm spinner removed Mohammad Yousuf with the
one that went straight through.
Herath and paceman Nuwan Kulasekara turned the game on its head. Sri
Lanka, eventually, closed out the match by seven wickets. With
Ajantha Mendis handled capably by the Pakistanis, Sangakkara was
able to motivate Thushara, Kulasekara and Herath. And he backed his
bowlers with attacking field settings.
In the same Test, Sangakkara’s innings of 87 at No. 3 was an
invaluable effort.
In the final Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, when the
Pakistanis scented a consolation win, the southpaw’s 303-ball
unbeaten 130 was a match-saving effort.
Sangakkara’s Test record — 7,095 runs from 83 matches at 55.42 with
19 centuries — is a worthy one. He is technically correct without
compromising on his natural flair as a left-hander.
He has built monuments in the ODIs as well with 7,483 runs in 249
matches at 36.32.
An improved ’keeper, he has combined in effecting 151 dismissals in
Tests.
Sangakkara does not don the big gloves in Tests these days with the
selectors deciding to relieve him of the extra burden. In 35 Tests
as a pure batsman, he has 3978 runs at a stunning average of 78.00.
But then, captaincy keeps him engaged all the time.
Apart from being a winning captain, Kumar Sangakkara is a wonderful
ambassador for his country.
--The Hindu, Chennai
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