With the Sri Lankans having had a surfeit of one_day cricket, it would not have been easy to immediately get technique and temperament into the longer duration of Test cricket, and especially against the might of the West Indies on their home turf.
DISASTER STRIKES
Before the tour began disaster struck the Lankans when strike bowler Chaminda Vaas was ruled out due to injury. Then before the First Test began promising paceman Nuwan Zoysa was sidelined with stress fractures on his back. And then to make matters worse Tillekeratne who has the ideal temperament for the established game was struck on the forearm and was ruled out for the rest of the tour. They also lost Marvan Atapattu.
With all these setbacks skipper Arjuna Ranatunga would have been stranded mid pitch so to speak, not knowing from where to field eleven fit men. The flu bug too attacked some of the best players in the squad and it certainly would not have been the fittest Sri Lanka team that fronted up to the cricketers from the Caribbean.
MAGNIFICENT
It must be remembered that no excuses, however good, are acceptable in defeat.
But then that is how the game goes and these are rigors that professional cricketers have to put up with. Although losing the Lankans performed magnificently to get the might of the West Indies batting out for 189 after making only 223.
Being dismissed for such a small score and conceding a first innings lead would have been upsetting to them and would have prompted them to hit back, and hit back they did with a vengeance to bundle out the Lankans for 152 and set themselves an easy 187 for victory.
UNCERTAINTY
It was the gangling Curtly Ambrose who did the damage with his biting pace and bounce. He was ably supported by skipper Walsh, Bishop and Rose. Although Walsh and Bishop were not among the wickets they would have caused uncertainty in the minds of the Lankan batsmen with their terrific pace and bounce.
From the looks of it, the Windies pacemen would have fired the ball in short and directed it at the batsmen's ribs or throat. This probably explains the nasty injury to Tillekeratne.
The Sri Lankan batsmen rarely come up against pace of this magnitude. In addition the batsmen would have had to first protect life and limb before thinking of making run strokes.
DREAM TEST
The Windies tearaway Ambrose had a dream test. He was not in his best form for a long time. But in this Test he came back into his own and showed that he has not lost his urge for the game and with terrific opening bursts tore the heart out of the Lankan batting in both innings.
In capturing his 300th Test wicket he joined a rare band of bowlers who have gone past this magic mark. His other countrymen to achieve this mark were his present skipper Walsh, Lance Gibbs and Malcolm Marshall.
Anyway the Sri Lankans need not be perturbed or unduly worried. There is still another Test match to be played and the Lankans must work hard on their shortcomings and endeavour to give the Windies a better run.
To lose to a better team is no shame. But they must not go down meekly.
BAD FIELDING
In the second innings with the West Indies chasing 187 for victory, the Lankan fielding according to reports went to pieces, with catches being grassed.
Catches win matches it is said and who knows what would have happened had those catches been taken.
With there being no telecast or radio commentaries, YES FM and SIRASA FM did cricket fans a great service by bringing them live updates all the way from the Caribbean. Keep up the good work!