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by Subash
who is the author of the blog, The Cricket Couch
Showing posts with label Samaraweera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samaraweera. Show all posts
Bored Boy: Samaraweera the bullet
I can’t wait for Samara to smash his first ODI six, obviously, neither can he. If you saw the ugly, cross-batted mistimed heave aimed at mid-wicket that landed at third man, and then landed him in the dressing room, you know desperation.
That shot against SA was clearly against the grain. Samara had already done the laundry and dirty work – he had shown patience, stalled a collapse that the lower middle order Lankans are prone to, be it in T20 or ODIs.
But there is a time when a man runs out of patience. After being shot, there’s one thing Samara knows, life is short, enjoy. But being a test batsman he also knows how to bore the hell out of you.
At that point, Samara’s two worlds collided, as did his bat and brain, the urge to hit his first ODI six clearly won over. Here’s to an ugly slog today. May it go for six.
The bullet is back
Yet to hit a six in ODIs, Thilan Samarweera is back in the team. Having hit many sixes, Sanath Jayasuriya is back in the hut. Even a cross dresser would play straighter – but that is Jayasuriya, 40 with a license to flirt. He hits the wide ones straight, and the straight ones wide. At best, he should be an extra, no ball for him.
Then you have Samara, adding weight to the middle order. Who knows, today could be the day he hits his first ODI six. And if he doesn’t, no need to be cross with him. That’s for when the Sanaths go marching in!
Mind it I say.
‘The earth is my bed. The Sky is my ceiling.
The Premadasa is my native place.'
The Premadasa is my native place.'
You can’t empty a bullet into a guy and not expect him to change. I saw Samaraweera’s cricket change here, it was possibly the most manic change I’ve seen in a test player. It was similar to Dravid going bonkers in one of those English ODI summers.
Today’s hundred was expected. It’s tough to beat a guy who’s been dead and back. Samara’ may not go on to be the greatest Lankan cricketer, but from here, I expect him to be the most fearless. You will see it in his eyes, in his cricket. There aren’t many fearless cricketers around, even today’s best are far from fearless. They are weighed down.
Samara’ changes the Lankan batting equation - he adds weight beyond Sanga and Mahela. At least three batsmen make a middle order, till the other day, Lanka had only two players in the ODI middle – the rest, Mathew, Kambady or whoever else comes, can partner Sanga, Mahela or Samara.
Mind it. Samaraweera is here I say.
Hands up! The Bullet is here.
One of Samraweera’s double hundreds in Pakistan was sublime; can’t say which one, there were so many of them – ok, just two, that’s Kambliesque! Don’t know what it is with back to back doubles but they can get you into trouble. Samaraweera got shot.
A bullet can do many things, like rob you of runs. It wasn’t until the fourth test after the Lahore shoot out that Samara scored a hundred at Galle.
But the hundred was of little consequence as it was against a sick New Zealand side. The high point was his second innings firing – 20 of 15 balls with 2 sixes. That took his 6s tally to 4 of 53 tests. Looks like he really wants that ODI spot real bad. As was documented here, he has never hit an ODI 6.
If you saw the ugly heave he got out to, you’d say he’s not just ready for ODIs but T20 too. Move over Boom Boom,The Bullet is here.
Never hit an ODI six, but scored a double century in tests.
Make that two test doubles. What sort of restraining order accompanies a player like Samaraweera – not that he hasn’t played an ODI ever, he’s held back for 21 games now. To complicate matters further, he’s hit a six in tests.
If ever Sri Lanka needs six runs on the last ball to win a game, there’s one man they don’t want at the crease.
Samaraweera. His brother’s name is DP Samareweera. For short that would be DPS. In India he would be an institution, but that’s a different school of thought.
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