Sangakkara confident of Sri Lanka’s chances in England Test series

By Dileep Premachandran

Kumar Sangakkara laughs quietly when asked about the reaction to Sri Lanka’s defeat in the World Cup final. While fans do not plumb the effigy-burning depths seen in India and Pakistan, there is a new breed out of sync with reality and with a growing sense of entitlement.

“Unfortunately we didn’t win,” he says. “In the 2007 final [Adam] Gilchrist blew us out of the water. In this one we opened the Indians up but they batted unbelievably. We fielded a bit poorly and maybe some of our bowlers didn’t hit their straps. But you have to give them credit, they batted us out of the game. That’s what winning a World Cup is about, doing something special.”

For Sangakkara the six-wicket defeat at the Wankhede Stadium marked another fork in a journey that has taken him from promising wicketkeeper-batsman to senior statesman. Having succeeded Mahela Jayawardene in 2009, however, few expected him to hand over to Tillakaratne Dilshan so soon – as he did after the final.

A candid and articulate man, Sangakkara, 33, holds back only on the subject of captaincy and the behind-the-scenes intrigues that perhaps forced his hand. He took over a team in transition, with Muttiah Muralitharan eyeing the exit sign and Sanath Jayasuriya no longer the six-hitting wonder he once was.

“Most of my two years were spent trying to make sure the right decisions were taken and stuck to,” he says. “We were deciding who would play in the World Cup and who wouldn’t, how we would handle certain big players not being in the team anymore.”

It is suggested a captain can do his job for four or five seasons before becoming jaded. Sangakkara did not wait to find out. “If you’re not intimately involved in Sri Lankan cricket, it may look a surprising decision,” he says.

“Even a selfish one, as some have called it. But when it comes to preparing for World Cups, in the context of what I described before, it’s very stressful. It can get combative and frustrating. At the end of it you sit down and think: ‘I’ve had a great run, I’ve enjoyed myself but maybe this is the time to move away and take a more detached view.’”

He is confident Sri Lanka’s batting will be in capable hands over the next decade. “The two that are most outstanding to me are Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews,” he says. “Upul Tharanga is also a special player.”

Lasith Malinga has retired from Tests. Mathews is injured and out of the tour of England. Much as those two will be missed, though, the acid test for Sri Lanka will be coping without Murali. Even a cursory look at the numbers tells of the void Murali leaves behind but, statistics apart, Sangakkara says it is his attitude that will most be missed.

“The biggest thing I learnt from him was the dedication and the commitment you need to perform,” he says. “The more Murali played, the harder he worked. For me the first year or so was the easiest. The opposition didn’t plan much for you. After that you walk in and you see these fields set for you, and you think: ‘Oh my God, how do I score my runs now?’ I had to go back into the nets and work out a new way – improve my leg-side play, drive a lot straighter. From Murali I learnt how much evolution takes place in a cricketer’s career.”

Sangakkara suggests that Sri Lanka still has a way to go before they change the perception that it is formidable only at home. “I don’t know if we’ve done enough in Test cricket,” he says.

 “Australia, South Africa, England… these are three places we have to go to and win. We haven’t won a Test in India either, which is surprising because these are conditions we’re very used to.”

Given that India has just won the World Cup and is No. 1 in the Test arena, some might be surprised at the response when you ask who the toughest opponents have been.

“Australia and England,” he says. But why Australia, after perhaps the worst 12 months they have had in a quarter-century? “They’re just competitive,” he says. “They may have chinks in the armour but they have that hate-losing attitude that pushes them to do something special. It took a very special effort from England to put the Ashes beyond them.”

Sangakkara appreciates the strides England has taken under Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower but is not overawed. “As a Test side, England is very, very good,” he says. “What I noticed most in the Ashes was their discipline, the mechanical efficiency in the bowling department. They didn’t have out-and-out pace. What they did have was a lot of control and old-fashioned hit-your-lines, hit-your-lengths bowling. That’s going to be the biggest challenge for us.

“As a batting unit they’re very good. But you always fancy that you can break through, especially with early wickets. You need to get into that middle and lower order.  England has also been successful because [Graeme] Swann has come in and done very well. They have that balance, a quality spinner to back up quality seam. Our current spinners may not be in the same class as Murali yet but they’re getting there.”

This is an extract from an article in the June issue of ‘The Cricketer,’ the world’s biggest-selling cricket magazine, on sale from 20 May.

(Source: The Telegraph)