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VVS Laxman: A morale-boosting Test series win

The same men who had been after Virat Kohli following the Galle defeat have overnight turned into fans again.

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India registered a win in Sri Lanka after 22 long years © AFP

This series had started off as Kumar Sangakkara’s swansong. After Rangana Herath bowled Sri Lanka to that spectacular victory at Galle, they said Sanga’s teammates were all set to give him the best possible farewell. Unfortunately for the home side, Virat Kohli and his men rose to the occasion in style, inflicting two heavy defeats on the home side to clinch the series coming from behind.

There were plenty of records: India won an overseas series after four years and a series in Sri Lanka after 22 years — it was also India’s first victory in Sri Lanka since the latter won World Cup in 1996. India also bowled out the opposition every time, taking all 60 wickets for the first time since the England tour of 1986.

The same men who had been after Kohli following the Galle defeat have overnight turned into fans again. Gone is the unfair criticism. Kohli will retain his fans till the next defeat comes his way — and given the way he is going, it is not likely to happen anytime soon, though India are to host South Africa in November-December.

Kohli has been quite positive in this series, and has backed his instincts. He went into the Galle Test with five bowlers. It backfired, not because the extra bowler was included, but because Dinesh Chandimal and Herath pulled off two spectacular performances. It was not a strategic error: it was outstanding cricket by the Sri Lankans.

Kohli took decisions swiftly. Stuart Binny was flown in as an additional option, and he replaced Harbhajan Singh for the second Test. Through it all, Kohli refused to play the extra batsman because he knew he needed the balance.

It must be remembered here that Kohli went into SSC with a changed side. He was missing two in-form openers and the number one wicketkeeper, who was replaced by a debutant. Cheteshwar Pujara, left out in favour of Rohit Sharma at Galle and P Sara, opened batting and carried his bat, providing the selectors the enviable problem of plenty, while Naman Ojha showed flashes of brilliance, making up for the absence of Wriddhiman Saha.

Binny may not be the best all-rounder in contemporary cricket, but Kohli has made his intentions clear by backing him. He wants to go in with five bowlers, and the only compromise he is willing to make is to include an all-rounder who can double up as the fifth bowler. It worked at P Sara and SSC.

Talking of bowlers, once again Kohli has made his stance clear. He relied on his fastest bowlers, not falling back on the safe option of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the most accurate of them all (also the best batsman and fielder among the bowlers). When Varun Aaron failed in Galle, he opted for Umesh Yadav, but that was it. It was clear he wanted those twenty wickets every time he took field.

Ishant Sharma lived up to expectations. The Galle pitch did not suit him, but he took three crucial wickets at P Sara before he ran through Sri Lanka at SSC. He continues to remain an enigma. It is amazing how, during an ordinary patch, he provides one of those match-winning performances. At SSC, he reminded me of the series against Australia in 2007-08 where he obtained excellent bounce from just short of a length, moved the ball late, and tormented batsmen. He would need to note that his services to the country will be sorely missed when India take on South Africa in the first test at Mohali.

Umesh picked up crucial wickets, but more importantly, looked threatening in almost every spell. That paid dividends later. Binny moved the ball in the air when the new-ball bowlers were through with their first spells. This allowed Kohli to rotate them, especially in the first innings at SSC where Sri Lanka were reduced to 47 for 6, all six wickets falling to seamers. The five-bowler policy played a crucial role in bowling the hosts out twice every time.

The Australia tour of 2014-15 witnessed a significant change in the approach of Ravichandran Ashwin. He was always an excellent bowler, but at times he used to experiment too much. In his new avatar, he relies more on classical spin, patiently sticking to a line, using subtle variations. The frequency of the carrom ball has gone down significantly, which means it serves its purpose as surprise delivery.

Amit Mishra too made use of the opportunity given to him. This series saw him bowl with more control over a sustained period of time. Ashwin (21 wickets at 18) had more wickets, but Mishra (15 at 15) had the better average. The fact that both spinners have chipped in with crucial knocks has helped the team.

Whether this is the best bowling combination for India is debatable, but at this moment, the attack looks good. However a bowler of the class of Bhuvneshwar Kumar cannot be kept out of the team. Bhuvi has shown he can bat in the past and he would have been lethal in the conditions provided in the final Test. The fact that both spinners (along with Saha and Naman) have chipped in with crucial knocks has helped.

As for batting, India lost both Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay mid-series to injuries. KL Rahul failed five times out of six but converted the other innings into a hundred. India could have started the South Africa series with Dhawan and Vijay at the top, but Pujara’s excellent performance at SSC has given them something to think about.

Rohit Sharma played some classy knocks but failed to convert them into hundreds. Rahane scored a good century in the second Test, but at No. 3 he does not seem to be his usual consistent self. Kohli did not bat to his potential, and Dale Steyn & Co. must have made a note of his dismissals to outgoing deliveries twice at SSC.

A word about the fielding: the Indian team pulled off some spectacular catches at bat-pad, Rohit’s catch of Mathews at Galle probably being the best. Rahul and Rahane have picked up some stunners as well. Having said that, there is definitely scope for improvement as far as slip fielding is concerned. That, perhaps, remains the only chink in this wonderful side.

All in all, it was a great performance by Kohli’s men. It is important now that the selectors repose faith in this squad and allow it to blossom into a match-winning Test team.

(VVS Laxman, CricketCountry’s Chief Cricket Mentor, remains one of the finest and most elegant batsmen in history. He was part of the iconic Indian middle-order for over a decade and a half and played 134 Tests and 86 ODIs. He tweets at @vvslaxman281)

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