2008 India-Lanka Test Series Finale - The Last Post
That was the significant difference between the two teams in this series. Six innings of BAW Lanka decided the tour. Mendis has dominated masters of spin.
The Dravid-Laxman partnership couldn't achieve one of their reputed brilliant efforts much to the relief of Lanka. Never mind, you tried.
One another factor besides BAW Lanka, which made a difference, was arrogance vs confidence.
India never has a plan for Lanka, whereas Lanka always plans in great detail, and over time, to down the big mythological bro, India, at every opportunity they can lay their hands upon. Sometimes they do not succeed, but often this mismatch of temperament comes off spectacularly. Many of India's spectacular failures have been against Lanka in all forms of the game excepting T20 (it's time will also come). But we never learn, research, or prepare, do we?
When the bully is conquered, often he is found out to be nothing more than a squeaky rat.
The better team won...Congratulations Sri Lanka!
Mix it up right
2 hours ago
2 comments:
Beautifully said, SB. Sqeaky rat indeed :) And yes, it didn't look like we ever had a plan. Sehwag succeeded because he was Sehwag and Gambhir maybe because Lanka didn't have enough on him. But that shouldn't take away any credit from him. He's probably the best among the so-called young lot of mice ;) Lanka did their homework well. For most of the series, this was BAW vs. Delhi Daredevils with Lax and Dravs contributing towards the end.
Btw that Coca cola cup final was one spectacular failure indeed. I don't think I watched that, but there was another in late '99 where Jayasuriya(189) gave back what Ganguly(186) and Dravid(145) gave them in WC. So many Ind-SL memories. Thanks for reminding me of them, SB.
Thanks Victoria.
Youare right...Sehwag succeeded because he was Sehwag....as unpredictable a batsman as Mendis is a bowler. Gambhir, because it is possible they do not have enough on him, but his walking forward may also have something to do with it. But these two were openers and not really likely to face Mendis in peak bowling form, as against the middle order under pressure.
Curiously, Cricinfo espouses the same theme...the singular lack of preparation...
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