7/19

7/19.

It isnt a typical Lankan bowling figure against an ODI minnow say a Chaminda Vaas or a Murali or even a Dilhara Fernando or the much hyped Angelo Mathews.

This isnt even a McGrath figures against a top class batting side in his pomp.

Its not even an Indian collapse to their old West Indian nemesis. 

Not even new age Australian collapse to South Africa on a swinging, seaming pitch. 

And fuck its not even a typical Pakistani collapse (until 2010). 

This is a Sri Lankan collapse against a  spirited Pakistani team in the hotbed of Sharjah Cricket stadium. Chasing 201 in 50 overs and when scoreline reads 3/148 and your 2 best batsmen are on crease, the odds are that the batting team shall win this game 10 on 10.

But thats not the case with this Sri Lankan team which is under a superb free fall post World cup final 2011. 

Shahid Afridi's one of the best all round performances in ODI history ensures that SL lose their 7 batsmen for 19 runs and go onto lose the ODI series. 

What is now going to be the excuse from Mahela Jayawardhena in his next syndicated column in Cricinfo remains to be seen. 

The SL captains are known to inflate the praise on their teams even in the darkest defeats and they rarely praise the opposition for outclassing them. Same has been observed in this series too against Pakistan.

Even when the wickets were falling, Sanath Jayasuriya who is pathetic in commentary was quoting "Unfortunately Sri Lanka has lost the series".

Their batsmen aint performing, the much hyped Angelo Mathews isnt performing. He did not score runs in the 3rd ODI when it was a stage well set for him to repeat the Australian heroics of last summer. But he didnt. 

The openers are failing, Dilshan's ideas aint working. 

Whats the road ahead for Lankans ? Their next trip is to South Africa. They are touring the country after 9 years.  What's going to be the fate of the so called good team from subcontinent is anybody's guess when this Lankans, so good in their own home turf(doubt if that is true now) are going to face Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.

Probably the soul of Lankan cricket is dead with the retirement of Muralitharan and Vaas, and they are unable to come to the grips with it.