Not only Muralitharan, Mendis, Malinga and the young Angelo Mathews make Sri Lanka a formidable opponent.

By Joshua Nath

With 10 victories and just five losses in a total of 17 ODIs (including two no-results in the 2002 final), Sri Lanka jointly boast of the best success rate (66.66 %) in the Champions Trophy.

There best performance was at home in 2002 when they shared the trophy with India. What is heartening to see in the current Kumar Sangakkara-led squad is that their bowling department has steadily become their strength in limited overs cricket.

Gone are the days when the bowling revolved around a probing Chaminda Vaas with the new ball and the wily Muralitharan in the middle overs. In Lasith Malinga, Lanka now have one of the most difficult pace bowlers to pick at any stage of an innings.

Murali’s genius is supplemented by the carrom-ball genius Ajantha Mendis’ hard-to-negotiate variations. And in recent times, one more M - Angelo Mathews - has made the islanders even more effective.

The young all-rounder Mathews proved his mettle with a stunning 6 for 20 against India in Colombo triseries. It only justified his growing reputation as an allrounder when he snapped three West Indian wickets in the first over of the T20 World Cup semi-final in June, 2009.

Apart from the redoubtable M-power, Lanka also have Nuwan Kulasekara, who has been ranked the No.1 ODI bowler for over 6 months. It is proof enough of what one can achieve with just military medium disciplined wicket-to-wicket bowling.

Needless to say, Sri Lanka also boast of an experienced batting line-up that has been bolstered by the inclusion of solid middle order batsmen Thilan Samaraweera (highest Test run-getter in 2009).

Sri Lanka may not have tasted too much success in South Africa but with the presence of seasoned ODI cricketers and a lethal bowling attack, the Lions cannot merely be termed as ‘dark horses’ but surely one of the prime contenders of the four semi-finals spots.

STRENGTHS

EXPLOSIVE TOP ORDER: Sri Lanka undoubtedly have four of the most destructive ODI batsmen in the world. In-form dasher Dilshan and the experienced Sanath Jayasuriya make for one of the dreaded opening pairs while seasoned stalwarts Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara at number 3 and 4, respectively, added the top-order muscle.

ALL-ROUND BOWLING UNIT: Sri Lanka have a varied bowling attack with Malinga the ‘Slinger’, deceptive new ball bowlers in Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, who can also move the ball both ways. Apart from that, Mathews has developed into a quality all-rounder who has the uncanny knack of picking up crucial wickets. Not to forget the spin twins – Muralitharan and Mendis.

FIELDING: The Lankan Lions have always been known as the best fielding side in the Asian subcontinent. In the recent times, thanks to the brilliance of electric fielders like Dilshan and Chamara Kapugadera, they have raised the bar and matched the fielding standards of sides like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Jayawardene is brilliant at the slips along side Sangakkara, who is undoubtedly one of the top-3 wicket keepers in world cricket today.

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WEAKNESSES

Though there aren’t any alarming weaknesses, Sri Lanka have a tendency to spoil the hard work done by the top order by losing wickets cheaply in the later part of the innings. At times, the Lankan batting line-up looks ‘top-heavy’ with four of their best batsmen filling the top-four batting slots. This creates a void in the middle and lower middle order and makes it look brittle with the inexperience of Thilina Kandamby and Kapugadera.

Perhaps that’s the reason why we see a test-specialist Samaraweera in the squad.

Like all champion sides, Sri Lanka are tough to beat at home but are also vulnerable when they play away from home and in seaming conditions. Also, the fresh and bouncy conditions at this time of the year in South Africa will definitely test their batting strength.

KEY PLAYERS:

Tilakratne Dilshan: Although not as gifted as Jayasuriya or Sangakkara, Dilshan has muscled his way through to the Lankan top order after inspirational performances in the second edition of Indian Premier League in South Africa and the ICC World T20. Lately he has taken the role of the attacking opener, who goes after the bowling attack from the start not allowing the bowlers to settle down to a fixed line and length. And don’t forget his trademark ‘scoop’ shot. His fielding has always been an asset and so is his nagging off-spin.

Mahela Jayawardene: A player who relishes big matches and is pretty adept to handle any kind of bowling, Jayawardene possesses a solid mix of caution and aggression in his game that is heartening to see. Remember his match-winning knock against the Kiwis in the 2007 World Cup semi-final? He has a total of 411 runs in the 15 matches and has a Champions Trophy average of 34.25.

Muttiah Murlitharan: Undoubtedly one of the best spin bowlers in the world in any form of cricket, Muralitharan, continues to torment the best of batsmen with the turn and zip in his deliveries. Murali is overall the highest wicket-taker in Champions Trophy with a total of 23 wickets at a bowling average of 16.43 and a best of 4 for 16.

FULL SQUAD: Kumar Sangakkara (captain & wicket-keeper) Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Dammika Prasad, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilina Kandamby, Thilan Thushara, Thilan Samaraweera, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Murlitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugadera, Angelo Mathews, Tilakratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga.

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