Seldom does one expect seamers to dominate a Test series between two south Asian teams playing in sub-continental conditions. Yet, the near-abject capitulations of both Sri Lankan and Indian batsmen against spinners in the ongoing series has thrown up an intriguing debate — do present sub-continental batsmen really play spinners that well or is the reputation misplaced?
Sanath Jayasuriya, former Lankan captain and opener, calls it a myth. “We think we are good at playing spin but we are not. We have struggled against quality spinners,” Jayasuriya said on Wednesday.
“Both the sides have quality spinners. R Ashwin and Rangana Herath are really good. Tharindu Kaushal for Sri Lanka and Amit Mishra for India, too, are bowling really well,” was his take.
Jayasuriya, however, stressed, “I think the Sri Lankans have struggled against spin more than the Indians. Probably, it could be overconfidence,” he reckoned on the sidelines of a promotional event while making a special mention of Ashwin’s surge. “Ravichandran Ashwin really bowled well. That he is developing into a good bowler is proved by his record. He knows his strengths and bowls to his field and is more consistent. He also bowled in the right areas. He is also improving.”
Much has been made of Indian domestic pitches for aiding seamers over the last few years and resulting in technical deficit among batsmen against the slow bowlers. But former India captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar puts it down to the apprehensive mindset of the batsmen. “I think the batsmen are tentative against spin. They need to be attacking against spinners and play with a positive mindset. Also, I think the team management could have planned better for this tour. They should have carried a left-handed batsman for this tour to counter Rangana Herath. Maybe a Suresh Raina could have helped to attack Herath,” Vengsarkar had told TOI after India’s loss in Galle.
A marauder in his time, Jayasuriya believes Virat Kohli needs a bit more time to settle down with his aggressive style of leadership. “You got to have experienced men to help you out like the coach and the management. So sometimes you go in five bowlers, sometimes with four, depending on the conditions. There are lot of permutations and combinations you can go in with but only when you settle down as a player,” Jayasuriya said.
