They could not find a way past Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka’s openers and the verve in their pace attack will keep them in good stead moving on
Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Jul-20158Angelo Mathews (269 runs at 53.8, 2 wickets at 40)Now Sri Lanka’s bona-fide crisis manager, Mathews’ 122 in Pallekele was Sri Lanka’s best innings of the series and should have been enough to secure victory, had his bowlers been on task. As a batsman he is like a granite wall, allowing almost nothing to divert him. As a tactician though, he could be a little more flexible. But then given the inexperience in his side, he has one of the most difficult jobs in world cricket. His bowling continues to provide able support to the frontliners.7Dimuth Karunaratne (318 runs at 53)Of the younger Sri Lanka batsmen, Karunaratne has made the most visible improvements to his game. A sucker for the whip through the legside when he began, Karunaratne now finds a substantial portion of his runs through the offside as well. He has also found the means to push beyond those middling scores. For the second series in a row, Karunaratne hit a hundred in conditions his team-mates faltered in. His up-tempo play makes the going easier for the batsman at the other end as well.Dhammika Prasad (14 wickets at 27.07)It seems downright strange that a seam bowler is Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker from a home series, but such is the nature of this new attack. Prasad has been consistently impressive in the three Tests, finding sharp movement from just short of a length at healthy pace. He still flaunts the attitude, but has channeled his more abrasive traits into his bowling. He seems to have overcome injury concerns, but with Sri Lanka fast bowlers, you never know. Deserves a good stretch in the team and not just because fans deserve to see more of his eye-popping, nerve-shattering appeals.Dushmantha Chameera (4 wickets at 21.50, in one Test)Seems like the kind of person who would weep in apology if he trod on your toes, but has no qualms about sending 150kph cricket balls at your skull. Chameera was instrumental to that one victory in Colombo, then in characteristic fashion, was injured for the next Test. The selectors have high hopes for him.6Kaushal Silva (222 runs at 44.40)Sri Lanka’s Geoffrey Boycott-type, only, a few inches shorter and a little more popular with team-mates. Silva’s grit helped Sri Lanka take control of the Galle Test, before they stabbed themselves in the eye and bled to death there. He was good at the P Sara too, but received some very good deliveries at Pallekele. His strike rate of 38.60 has caused a minor stir, but given it was a ball-dominated series, it’s more than forgivable.Upul Tharanga (94 runs at 47, in one Test)Not an orthodox choice for the No. 3 position, but Tharanga’s brisk 40s helped return fire during two tough new-ball spells in Pallekele. He will be disappointed for not pushing through for a more substantial innings. Sri Lanka would be foolish to let him go easily, given the international exposure he has had and the talent he clearly possesses.Nuwan Pradeep (5 wickets at 33.80, in two Tests)Was outstanding on the first day in Pallekele, but in typical Pradeep fashion, was only sporadically good the rest of the time. That bowling average keeps decreasing though, and when his rhythm is good and the ball is moving he makes batsmen grope and prod with the best of them.The eye-catching Dhammika Prasad was Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker•AFP5Tharindu Kaushal (9 wickets at 34.22, in two Tests)How to assess his wild swings of fortune this series? Virtually won Sri Lanka the Colombo match with his first-day five-wicket haul, then basically lost the Pallekele match, on a somewhat helpful pitch, against two batsmen playing the innings of their lives. He is exceedingly raw, but supremely talented. Has a bright future if he can work on his control. May be the only surviving doosra bowler in the world. Test cricket deserves that.Dinesh Chandimal (153 runs at 30.60)Only a single fifty in the tour, but it was an important one at a difficult time. His positivity during the second innings in Pallekele eased the pressure on Mathews, who is always a little shaky in the approach to a milestone. Some feel Chandimal’s talent is wasted all the way down at No. 7, but he hasn’t yet shown the kind of consistency that deserves a top-order spot. His wicketkeeping was imperfect, but serviceable. As ever with Chandimal, there is plenty of room for improvement, but there is also container-loads of potential there.Jehan Mubarak (60 runs at 30, in one Test)Not exactly a high-octane return to Test cricket after his seven-year hiatus, but two valuable innings nonetheless. He threw his wicket away in the first innings in Pallekele, but then got an excellent ball from Yasir Shah in the second. The fifty-plus partnerships he was involved in helped Sri Lanka recover from early losses.4Dilruwan Perera (4 wickets at 38.25, in one Test)Accurate as ever and no one tries harder, Dilruwan was usurped by the shinier Kaushal for the two final Tests. But Sri Lanka are unlikely to have seen the last of him. He lacks for a little variation, but is adept at exerting pressure on the opposition and bowling in partnerships.3Kumar Sangakkara (102 runs at 25.50, in two Tests)Did not appear to be his characteristic high-intensity self at the crease. Hit a fifty in the first innings at Galle, and did little else of note apart from two good catches – one of them at slip. His unavailability for the third Test was also less than ideal, but as it was the former selectors who cut this deal with him, Sangakkara can’t really be blamed. He will likely be fired up for his final Test foray, against India, however.Rangana Herath (2 wickets at 109, in two Tests)Ripped Pakistan to shreds, put the shreds through a grinder, then shredded them some more when they came over in 2014. This year, the opposition were all over him. The only man he dismissed was Azhar Ali (twice), and given Azhar’s long-standing history of surrender to Herath, these two wickets barely count. How Sri Lanka missed Herath in the final, definitive sessions of the tour though. His heart will still be beating long after the apocalypse has swallowed the world, but the India series should be better indication how much more top-flight cricket Herath’s body can sustain.Lahiru Thirimanne (90 runs at 18)Thirimanne’s 2015 seems to be going the same way as his 2014; excellent limited-overs returns at the start of the year, giving way to dramatic loss of Test form through the middle months. This was a shocking series for a player as capable as he is. Perhaps he will play himself back in through the one-day format which has emerged as his strongest.Suranga Lakmal (1 wicket at 112, in one Test)Was not at his metronomic best after returning from injury for the Pallekele Test. He delivered one or two good balls, but seemed to be less effective than the more attacking seam options. Remains an important part of Sri Lanka’s wider pace battery though.2Kithuruwan Vithanage (56 runs at 14, in two Tests)Yes, there was the manic 34 to set Sri Lanka’s Colombo chase into gear, but his reverse sweep to Yasir in the first innings of that game was …errr… not good. Perhaps a player who can work his way back up to Tests via T20s.
