Debasis Sen and Subhayan Chakraborty
Colombo
Sri Lanka is experiencing a resurgence that’s turning heads. The co-hosts of Asia Cup 2023 have reached the summit clash of the tournament with a thrilling win over Pakistan. This resurgence is also marked by a 13-match winning streak, a feat that places them second only to Australia’s monumental 21-game winning streak, achieved in 2003. Yet, what truly distinguishes this remarkable run is not just the number of victories but the spirit and promise of the youthful squad behind it.
However, no narrative is complete without a reality check, and for Sri Lanka, it arrived at the hands of cricket giants, India. In a gripping clash during the Asia Cup’s Super 4 stage match in Colombo, India managed a hard-fought 41-run victory over the resilient Lankan team. While this defeat marked the end of their spectacular winning streak, it also underscored Sri Lanka’s tenacity to give cricket powerhouses like India a run for their money. What makes this achievement even more noteworthy is, Sri Lanka accomplished it without the services of two of their key players, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, who were sidelined due to injuries.
“Sri Lanka has been doing really well in the last year or so. It is quite impressive the way a young Sri Lankan team has been playing even though we are missing a few players due to injuries, like one of the best players in the world in Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara. But the guys who came in have grabbed the opportunities with both hands and are performing really well for the team. Long may it continue,” Vaas observed in an exclusive chat with RevSportz.
With twelve intense overs and three crucial wickets under his belt in the ongoing Asia Cup, Jasprit Bumrah is leading India’s pace attack as they gear up for the impending ICC ODI World Cup. As the World Cup looms, Bumrah’s return to peak form signals a significant boost to India’s prospects, with his ability to take crucial wickets paramount to India’s success.
While Bumrah and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi have been hogging the limelight with their impressive performances, Vaas is excited about Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana, dubbed as ‘Mini-Malinga’, who is the leading wicket-taker in Asia Cup with 11 wickets in five matches. However, Vaas wants Sri Lanka Cricket to protect Pathirana due to his unorthodox action in a bid to save him from injuries.
“Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are two of the best bowlers in the world right now. Pathirana is still very young, he is still 20. He has a long way to go. It is up to Sri Lanka Cricket to protect him – like MS Dhoni said. Which format he is going to play, whether it is 50 overs or 20 overs, we need to take care of him, not to play him in all the games. Especially in Matheesha’s case, it is important to take care of him because he is going to do wonders for Sri Lankan cricket,” he told.
When asked whether Bumrah should pick and choose games or even walk away from one format to prolong his career, Vaas said ultimately the Indian pacer will have to play a smaller number of matches to serve Indian cricket for long.
“People like Bumrah or Matheesha Pathirana, they have different bowling actions. We need to protect them. Players of those calibre, with such actions, can’t play all the formats continuously. The cricket boards, managements need to decide which format they need to play. Bumrah has been playing Test cricket, ODIs, T20Is and then the IPL as well. The BCCI needs to decide which matches or tournaments he needs to play, protect him well, so that he can serve cricket for long and not break down repeatedly.”
While the former Sri Lanka pacer, with 755 international scalps under his belt, did not make a straightforward prediction for the ODI World Cup, he did drop enough hints by naming Australia, England, New Zealand, India and Pakistan as the sides to watch out for in the marquee tournament.
“You can’t predict anything right now. Sri Lanka is playing really well but you can’t really predict whether they will go to the semis or not. Other teams are also preparing hard and playing well, especially the likes of Australia, England and even New Zealand. And when you are playing in the sub-continent, you can’t keep India and Pakistan out – they both are very good teams. So, you can’t really pick one team and say they are going to win the World Cup but it depends on how they play in the middle. I am not going to pick any team. All the teams are really good. “
India made a major statement by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 228 runs in Asia Cup’s Super 4 stage with many former cricketers and fans tipping the Men in Blue as one of the big favourites to win the World Cup. On his part, Vaas picked a couple of obvious names from the side to make an impact.
“We all know that Virat Kohli is a special player. The way he has performed over the last decade is extraordinary. Even for Rohit Sharma, it is the same. They will give their 100 per cent. Especially in India, they will have the backing of the home crowd and all the fans will want to see them perform well. With Kohli and Rohit in full flow, India will go all out in the World Cup, and do well for Indian cricket.”