Expect something special from Sri Lanka’s 18th Test captain

by Rex Clementine

Many players have spoken about nerves leading up to their Test debut. Many others have let the pressure take to them picking up a duck on debut. Some have ended up with pairs on debut – Chamara Silva and Marvan Atapattu. How did Dhananjaya de Silva, our new Test captain fare?

Well, his was baptism by fire; against world’s number one ranked Australia. So, did he get a duck or golden duck? No way. He defended his first five balls in Test cricket watchfully and then smashed the sixth for a six coming down the track. Yes, that was his first scoring shot in Test match cricket. He’s the only Sri Lankan to have done so. What does his captaincy have to offer? Has to be quite interesting.

There was a nasty period in our cricket not so long ago when there were several bloodless coups to dispose the appointed captain through unscrupulous means. There was an unwritten law in our cricket about natural succession but once Marvan Atapattu was unceremoniously dumped, people thought as if it were fair and square to undercut the captain and the practice went on.

Thankfully the practitioners of that trade are retired now and men representing the country go about in a gentlemanly way like it should be the case.

Dhananjaya de Silva was captain in waiting having been understudy to Dimuth Karunarante for more than two years now and his is a natural succession and a well-deserved one. He will become Sri Lanka’s 18th Test captain on Friday.

Some may say that DDS was made to wait for captaincy. At the end of the last Test Championship cycle, Karunaratne made it very clear that he wanted to move on, but the selectors at that point insisted on the status quo remaining. DDS waited patiently and now his time has come.

The challenges ahead of DDS is quite tough. Sri Lanka are placed last in the ICC Test Championship currently while their last Test was a disaster having lost to Pakistan by an innings and 222 runs, Sri Lanka’s worst defeat ever at home.

While Afghanistan series is not part of the World Test Championship there are bigger challenges ahead in a year where Sri Lanka will play ten Test matches. The biggest challenge of them all is tours to England and South Africa.

While Sri Lanka have a nice crop of fast bowlers who can make an impact in South Africa and England, their batting remains suspect especially when the ball nips around or the track has extra bounce.

Sri Lanka also need to find a backup spin option for Prabath Jayasuriya as off-spinner Ramesh Mendis has struggled with his rhythm in recent games.

Sri Lanka named a 16-member Test squad yesterday. The squad includes three uncapped players: Lahiru Udara, Chamika Gunasekara and Milan Rathnayake.

Sri Lanka Test squad:

Dhananjaya de Silva (Captain), Kusal Mendis, Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Udara, Chamika Gunasekara, Milan Rathnayake.