Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
“I’m so smart” |
Ah, Mr. Sanjay Manjrekar.
It’s not often a non-Asian side sweeps an Asian team in their own backyard these days, but a supposedly informed TV pundit should have known a little more about England’s achievement. Catch his tweet here.
Yes, England won the toss each time, which helps significantly, but they played fine cricket. Remember, Sri Lanka swept aside Australia and South Africa on their own turf, as well as beat Pakistan and Bangladesh away. So, while it pains me as an Australian to say this, lots of credit goes to Joe Root and his team for the way they performed.
Also, it worth remembering England lost three games by an innings across their tours of India and Australia, after batting first and scoring 400+. Credit where credit is due. The addition of Ben Foakes and Jack Leach took England to another level, which is a point Mr. Manjrekar failed to address.
In this article, I will put each player in the series under the microscope and rate them out of ten. As always, it is a little light-hearted. As always, feel free to leave a comment!
Sri Lanka:
Dimuth Karunaratne: The lion roaring loudest in the top order. It has been a fruitful last few years for Karunaratne, and he bore more fruit here. Three fifties with none converted is a tad disappointing, but a fine effort when teammates struggled. 8
Danushka Gunathilaka: Just the one game in this series. Up against Kaushal Silva currently for the opening slot, which is a nice situation to be in, but doesn’t mean he should rest on his laurels. Was encouraging against South Africa at home, and will need to fight hard in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. 1
Dhananjaya de Silva: Expected a little more from a talented player. Little bit of Marcus North about him in the final two Tests – a 50+ score or nothing. With Kaushal Silva struggling, de Silva was effectively an opener. 5
Kusal Mendis: His most significant innings came in the final Test. Who knows what could have happened if he didn’t get run out? One thing is for certain, the 23-year old is not living up to his potential quite yet. 5
Angelo Mathews: Last Test took the gloss off what was a fine series, with 213 runs at 53.25 in the first two Tests. Had England sweating a little in the second Test, and as an Aussie, I was cheering the man on (and hoping he didn’t pull his hamstring like I tend to do). 7
Roshen Silva: Mighty impressive in his two Tests. Runs on sharply turning tracks with his team under the pump is testament to his ability. The fact he has played just 10 Tests to date is a reflection on the national selectors, not Roshen. Had Sri Lanka believing they could pull off amazing wins in each of his two Tests. 7.5
Niroshan Dickwella: More appeals than runs, unfortunately. Could be a fine cog in Sri Lanka’s middle order, but not delivering as he should. Watch out Adam Gilchrist if Dickwella scores as many runs as he appeals. He will be the best ever. Five double figure scores but no fifties. 5
Dilruwan Perera: Superb. The leading wicket taker for the series. Still looking around for any sustained support from his teammates. 8.5
Suranga Lakmal: Four wickets for the series, with two taken in his first two overs of the first Test. Skipper for the final two Tests, he knew there is very little use in putting yourself through too much back-breaking work on these pitches. Smart man. 5
Lakshan Sandakan: Is this guy supposed to be a spinner or what? In one particular spell where he had Ben Stokes out twice to no balls, 40% of his deliveries were no balls. The only two that were called were the wicket balls upon review. Disgraceful on all parties. A good five-for in his only Test, but his mistakes were costly. 5
Malinda Pushpakumara: Magnificent batting in the final Test to give Sri Lanka hope of one of the most amazing wins. Got better with the ball as his series went on. 6
Other squad members:
Akila Dananjaya: Action tested in Australia, economy rate pushed to the limit in Sri Lanka. Bounced back from a disappointing first Test with a six-for in the second, but his economy rate of 4.85 for the series hurt Sri Lanka’s push for pressure. 6
Kaushal Silva: Has stopped his ridiculous routine where he punches his bat handle about 1,000 times before he faces a ball. The only good change, for Kaushal, as runs continue to elude him. 1
Dinesh Chandimal: Another muscle injury for a Sri Lanka player. Have Sri Lanka hired the Arsenal Football Club medical team? 2
Rangana Herath: The great man went out with a defeat. England played him well in the first Test, which gives him a score of four for that particular match. 4
England:
Rory Burns: Moments of quality, including his first half century, but a relatively quiet series. There is plenty to be encouraged about, but will Burns get into trouble with his front foot coming across his stumps a little too much, too early? 5
Keaton Jennings: Apart from his fine 146* in Galle, Jennings hit 87 runs at 17.40 for the series. For me, he still isn’t doing enough to justify his place. After all, he scored more runs in one innings than his entire five matches against India earlier in the year. 6
Jonny Bairstow: A huge statement in the third Test at number three. Showed the England selectors that he is too good to ignore. Would have been cursing that football in the second Test as he was left out to cater for the undroppable Ben Foakes. Kind of like Manchester United right now. 7
Joe Root: Killing off the 50-100 conversion rates jokes, which is stripping me of meme material. Led his team well, and would be keen on converting double figure scores into at least 50, ironically. 7
Ben Stokes: Took Lakshan Sandakan out for dinner as a thank you. Solid series with both bat and ball for Stokes, with luck on his side in the final Test. 7
Jos Buttler: One of England’s finest. It has been an amazing 2018 for Buttler, and this was a fine effort from him. Never let the Sri Lankan spinners settle, and finished with a fine 250 runs for the series. 8
Moeen Ali: Nothing with the bat, but delivered with the ball. Can deliver the goods overseas, as second fiddle to a specialist spinner who can tie up an end. Beard game strong, spin game stronger. 7
Ben Foakes: One of my new favourite cricketers. I don’t care that I am Australian. Superb batsman and keeper. Magnificent series. 9
Adil Rashid: “Yeah Michael Vaughan talk nah”, said Rashid post match. Bowled well in spurts, especially in the first innings of the final Test. Hid his filthy long hops expertly behind Jack Leach and Moeen Ali. 6.5
Stuart Broad: Wicketless in an overseas Test. Joe Root did drop two off his bowling, though. Unlucky. 2
Jack Leach: Breath of fresh air for England. His addition to the side helped Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali significantly, which highlights that he delivered more than just his 18 wickets. Superb. 8.5
Other squad members:
James Anderson: Anyone still believe James Anderson is better than Dale Steyn? I would like to have a friendly chat… 3
Sam Curran: Wonder kid down the order for England. A long Test career ahead of him. 7