India 3 Lanka 0: History created Dhoni must keep delivering, 2019 World Cup not guaranteed: MSK
(108 off 96 balls). And up against India’s total of 487, the home team batsmen fell like nine pins.
Resuming their second innings on 19 for one, it was abject surrender by the home team against the bowling of R Ashwin and Mohammed Shami, who finished with four and three wickets respectively. There was token resistance from the fifth wicket pair of skipper Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, but chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav broke the partnership at the score of 105 and innings caved in.
It was another episode in Sri Lanka’s sorry story in the series. They have struggled to get a partnership going, and whenever they have seemed like getting one, India have broken through.
Seldom have India been so dominant in an away series. India were all over Sri Lanka this series. Openers Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul not only laid a platform in Pallekele, but got runs rapidly to seize the initiative. In the third Test, they set the tone with an aggressive 188-run partnership. The middle-order made merry in the first two games, and for once when they struggled at Pallekele, the lower-order more than made up with Hardik Pandya slamming a brilliant hundred. The roll of dice also went against the hosts with Virat Kohli winning all three tosses and batting first to set the tone.
In their final act of the series, Sri Lanka needed opener Dimuth Karunaratne to produce one of his second innings specials like he did at Galle and Colombo. But the hosts were in trouble soon after resuming at 19/1.
R Ashwin struck in his first over on Monday, the third of the day, to remove Karunaratne. The two have had a personal battle with Karunaratne scoring a hundred in the second Test. But here he had no chance, Ashwin producing an off-spinner’s special to have him caught at slip.
In good rhythm through the match, Shami bowled a fiery spell. He pitched at three-quarter length and around the off-stump with an excellent seam position.
His fuller delivery was too good for nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara and the thick outside edge was gobbled up by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
Sri Lanka’s hopes of a fight received a serious setback when rising star Kusal Mendis succumbed to the pressure built by Shami. Trying to break the shackles, the batsman attempted to work the ball to the on-side but missed to be trapped leg before.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli may have sung high praise of predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s mentoring role, but chief selector MSK Prasad has said the latter’s place in the squad is not guaranteed for the 2019 World Cup.
Dhoni, despite his waning powers as a finisher, has been included in the squad for the Sri Lanka series starting on August 20. The Indian selectors though dropped Yuvraj Singh, who has struggled on the field.
Emphasising on fitness as a key criterion to make it to the 2019 World Cup squad, Prasad revealed the selectors’ thinking when asked whether Dhoni was an automatic choice in the build-up to the major tournament. “Discussions happen about everybody. It’s not just MS. When we pick, when we talk about combinations, we talk about everybody. You will also see that in the time to come,” Prasad said.
“We are all stakeholders. We all want the Indian team to do well. If he is delivering, why not? If he is not, we’ll have to look at alternatives.”
Prasad said the cricket Board (BCCI) will introduce fitness for selection to the Indian squad after finding the fielding levels not up to the mark during the Champions Trophy.
“Skill-wise we are No 1 in the world, (but) when it comes to fitness, we need to raise our standards. We have two to three phases in those parameters leading up to the 2019 World Cup. If someone fails to match them, he will not be considered, irrespective of who he is.”
Prasad however maintained Yuvraj was rested and not dropped. “We have started a policy where we have identified some set of players who will be considered for the next 4-5 months, and we will rotate them. After that we will get a picture that these are the players who will go on to play the 2019 World Cup.”
NUMBERS GAME