Angelo Mathews left to pick up the rubble alone

Kusal Perera and Angelo Mathews had thrown down the gauntlet to India with their magnificent fightback. The last day of the Test season in Sri Lanka was heading towards another absorbing climax. The hosts, on the brink of a second successive series defeat at home, had gainfully kept the rampaging tourists at bay during a 38-over partnership.

Mathews was past his hundred and the debutant Perera was shredding apart the questionable selection policies of the Sri Lankan selectors that had kept the southpaw limited to the shorter formats of the game despite his imposing 50-plus first-class average.

Sri Lanka had a draw, even a win, in sight when Perera, batting on 70, suffered a brain freeze or perhaps a bout of machismo that he is set to rue for a few days yet. With everything under his control and a debut hundred in sight, the leftie attempted a reverse-sweep.

To Perera and Sri Lanka’s horror, the ball went straight to Rohit Sharma at point, leaving the debutant a picture of pain, disappointment and disgust.

Perera’s reverse-sweep is not likely to attract the detractors as much as that Mike Gatting attempt in the 1987 World Cup final, albeit the abject surrender of the batsmen that followed Perera accentuates his carelessness.

Merely 26 balls later, the captain was nailed by Ishant Sharma. His monumental 240-ball 110, his sixth century as captain, that promised so much eventually only served to delay the inevitable.

Sri Lanka’s tail crumbled and Indian captain Virat Kohli roared in delight as Nuwan Pradeep was snapped by Amit Mishra. Kohli and his Indian troops had truly redeemed themselves after that grisly Galle batting nightmare on the last day of the opening Test.

After the narrow loss to Pakistan, the defeat to India has left Mathews cutting a forlorn figure; the 28-year old has already fought some incredibly tough battles in his 52 Test career. Handed over the reins of the Test team in his mid-twenties, Mathews has been the glue in the middle-order.

With Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene now confined to memory, Mathews has had to step up well beyond his years and experience. But despite his herculean efforts with the bat, the captain has had to endure identical 2-1 defeats.

The vacuum created by the absence of the two legends is not going to be filled overnight. Sri Lanka who had in recent years turned their home venues a fortress of sorts — even venues not built next to the Galle fort — struggled against the likes of Yasir Shah, Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mathews will have to shoulder even more responsibility in the months ahead as his top and middle order comes to grips with the demands of the Test format.

Perhaps now we know why Mathews begged Sangakkara to stay on; one feels he might pay another visit to the Sangakkara mansion in the Kandy hills.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd,  2015.

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