“Sri Lanka have picked a couple of guys I haven’t played against and I have been playing for ten years. I think that’s the surprise (package) for me,” England captain Eoin Morgan had said ahead of the World Cup. While many – including the outlets and the players – thought it was nothing, but a hilarious response given the Islanders’ recent ODI record, very few perceived the English skipper might actually have a point.
On June 21, at Leeds, it was time for England to face the ‘surprise’ their captain had warned them about. Riding on the back of Angelo Mathews’ 85 and a couple of cameos from Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis, the Lankan Lions posted mere 233 against a side known for their vicious batting approach.
An easy target to chase for England, right? It was thought to be that way. Their captain might have had a stern dressing room talk about the ‘couple of new guys’, but what they flunked there was to approach to the game in the most cardinal way possible.
Regardless of what is said about Lasith Malinga’s neoteric form or even how many kilos he has put on over the year, a veteran of his stature is bound to hit hard if you neglect the basics of the game. As for Sri Lanka, their repute of being the underdogs at the World Cup is exactly what makes things interesting. It was just about time.
The theory of evolution which says “only the strong shall survive" was negated by an absolute brilliance of Malinga. Heading into the fixture, England were indeed favourites; the odds were stacked in their favour, but what the odds didn’t know that cricket is a game where passion and desperation of achieving something can trump the logic in the most gorgeous way possible.
Analogous to Sri Lanka’s top order fall, the onus was on the bowlers to pick early wickets in order to crumble a steady English cruise. And it all began as early as the second delivery where Jonny Bairstow stumbled to a full-length ball from Malinga. That was followed by James Vince’s yet another disappointment.
When Malinga returned during the 31st over, England had managed to nail themselves in the game at 126/3. Little did they know, though, that Root was about to fall victim of his yet another Malinga beauty. Jos Buttler soon followed, and within 60 runs, England went down to 186/9.
Sri Lanka’s grit was all about forsaking what the stats have said, the commentators had predicted. They got themselves back in the game. Malinga, who after Lanka’s defeat to Australia last Saturday had flown back home to attend to his mother-in-law’s demise, was back and firing.
"He's a legend,” Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said after the game. "He knows best. If he wants to go home and come back, that's fine. He gave a good example for the guys. He keeps doing what he knows, the basic things. He sets an example for the youngsters."
Isn’t it always about courage and the wit to do achieve the supreme? Sri Lanka are far from achieving what they did in 1996, but Malinga - their rage fighter – has given them the aura they were in need.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Cricket World Cup
