Murphy’s law can be simply put forward in these few words “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. Pessimists and disappointed would seek solace in those words but not Dilshan. Today he turned the law on its head and came up with a law of his own “Something that has to go right, will go right”
Once Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field, the writing was clear on the wall. Sri Lanka were expected to post a huge total and make Zimbabwe buckle under the pressure. The way Dilshan started off by savaging Panyangara suggested that they will have a tilt at fair number of records on the way
Not so long ago, Dilshan was considered as an equal of Sehwag. Where Sehwag accelerated to greater heights, Dilshan was found questioning himself. Today the Dilshan of the yore came to fore with the first three balls of the Panyangara over. He on-drove, pulled, and cover-drove continuous deliveries for a four, six and four
The bowlers fed the batsmen in the middle with the deliveries of their liking. Tharanga was given width outside the off stump and he duly encashed by playing the square drives and the lofted cover drives. Once he realised that Dilshan was taking the lead, he concentrated all his efforts on feeding him the strike
As soon as Ray Price was introduced into the attack, Dilshan was quick in using his feet to cover drive. But soon Price shortened his length and slowed the pace a touch as Dilshan was induced into playing the defensive push early and struck on the pads
Tharanga’s fetish for long partnership’s continued into this game too and he took over from where Dilshan slowed down. Beauty of Tharanga’s innings lay in the fact that he did not over exert himself. He got all his runs by playing the classical strokes and rotating the strike. Dilshan, as is his wont began explosively and then kept the scoreboard ticking with smartly placed singles and couples
The only thing that can probably be held against them is the fact that once they slowed the pace a touch with the introduction of the spinners, they took a while to change the gears. At the beginning of the innings a score of over four hundred did not look impossible. So this will be one of the areas that will be requiring some tinkering, come the knock-out.
The way they lost their wickets in a heap in the final five overs will provide a bit of concern to the team management. Sangakkara for one won’t be a happy man as the lower middle order seems to be the weakest link in the team. They neither have the big hitters nor batsmen with intimidating presence
Taylor would have got a lot of encouragement from the way his namesake played on the same ground against Pakistan. He certainly showed the pluck and the verve that Rosco showed day-before. The one thing that Brendan did not have was Kamran and the luck associated with it
Once he cover-drove Malinga he seemed to have gained in confidence. There is something with Zimbabwean batsmen and the pluck they show in playing shots behind the wicket. If Marillier showed us the scoop then Taylor unfurled, what can be called as a ‘Perpendicular Cut’ for now. He turns the face of the bat skywards and with the bat close to the body, he just tweaks the wrists to provide enough momentum to the ball. He played the shot against New Zealand but he seemed to have got an edge in that match as the ball flew to fine-leg. Today he was perfect as it went over the keeper’s head and the cordon to third-man for a boundary
If Dilshan played contrary to Murphy’s laws, then Malinga fell a victim to the same laws as whatever he did seemed to go wrong. He seemed to be wanting to start off from where he left off against Kenya- bowling Yorkers. In that pursuit, his radar went wrong and he sprayed the ball. Adding to his bowling woes were the dropped catch and fielding lapses
Zimbabwe for all the effort they are putting in are lacking in experience as they folded up for 188. Who else to take the wickets but Dilshan? He was having a purple patch with the ball too and was close to having a hat-trick, if not for the dropped catch by Jayawardene
Sangakkara had something to take away from this match personally as he led a fielding effort by taking a superb catch. He started by going down the wrong line and then had to dive across to pluck the ball, inches from the ground. Dilshan then cleaned up the middle order with a superb spell
Dilshan was the Midas for the day and would want to remain so till the second of April. Murphy! Are you listening?
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