Lack of organisation in the country's domestic game is a key factor behind Sri Lanka's demise

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  • Sri Lanka's malaise set in long before the start of the series.

    Where is Sri Lankan cricket headed? At the end of the second day’s play in Pallekele, Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince his words.

    “This isn’t Test cricket. India haven’t been tested at all. Sri Lanka will struggle to beat a decent Ranji Trophy side,” he said on air with the official broadcaster.

    The legendary cricketer-turner-commentator always speaks his mind but very rarely crosses over onto the blunt side. And he isn’t wrong, for it is tough to recall a single phase of play in three Tests this series wherein India might have been in a spot of bother.  This potentially could be the drabbest Test series ever played.

    You don’t even need to look back at the first two Tests. Just consider what transpired at Pallekele over two sessions – post-tea on day one and pre-lunch on day two. After 188/0 at one stage, India were restricted to 329/6 at stumps. For the first time, the world No1 Test team was feeling uneasy. Sri Lanka seemed to have built on their second-innings fight-back in Colombo. Yet, on this second morning, unable to get out Hardik Pandya and restrict India to 350-odd, the hosts simply fizzled out.

    Pandya smacked a maiden Test hundred off 86 balls, including 26 runs off one over, and India reached 487. Lanka were then bowled out for 135 in their first innings, a ghastly batting performance. Even the normally reliable Angelo Mathews (below) is struggling. In reality, it was a microcosm of the series. India haven’t moved out of second gear, Lanka have given up without a fight. It is almost as if the visitors have taken pity and not landed the final knockout blow in each round.

    Everywhere you go, from Galle to Colombo to Kandy, there is so much history. This is the land of Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan. When they left, one by one, it left a gaping hole. But all countries go through a transition phase. Just how has Lankan cricket come down to this?

    “A performance like this hurts but we are playing the No1 side in the world,” said batting coach Hashan Tillakaratne. Bowling coach Vaas also offered similar thoughts. This isn’t the answer to the aforementioned question, and the harsher truth is that there is no easy answer.

    You look at the cross-batted shots on day two, and wonder where the momentary resolve shown in Colombo has gone.

    Could it be a mental issue, when facing a demoralising total? It was certainly the case in Kandy, as Pandya’s onslaught would have flattened any team. But performances such as Pandya’s cannot justify this shocking downward curve.

    Shoddy batting is no excuse with grass shaved off the pitch before the start of this game, under the watchful eyes of chief selector Jayasuriya. Even a flat wicket cannot be considered their best shot to salvage a draw, particularly when the batting was on thin ice against a Zimbabwean spin attack (before the India series) as well. Is this classified under plain nonchalance on the part of the batsmen, then?

    Mathews has been struggling, with his late century coming over two years ago.

    Mathews has been struggling, with his last century coming against India in 2015.

    At least lack of experience was a genuine excuse for their pacers in this Test – Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara have played 10 Tests between them – as they came up short on day one with the new ball.

    Anyone looking for answers needs to go deep into the malaise. There has been an upheaval, in Lankan selection policy, stemming right from the lower levels to the very top. The first-class structure has totally been ripped apart, and the school/club structure is unable to support the top-tier of domestic cricket in this country as a consequence. And all of this has been done to find the natural successors to the likes of Sangakkara and Jayawardene.

    Clubs form the core of designated first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, and for the best part of two years now there has been absolute confusion as to what exactly is going on. Sri Lanka Cricket expanded the number of clubs from a select, quality handful and this has had a varying effect on both the quality and quantity of the matches.

    Then there is the small matter of pitches. Once a haven for mixed wickets, ranging from green tops to slow turners, domestic cricket is moving towards flat tracks to boost batsmen’s confidence. It hasn’t helped the bowlers at all, with pacers and spinners suffering in equal measure.

    “We talk a lot about what ails first class cricket, but no matter how much we talk, the issue hasn’t moved forward. If we want to develop our cricket, we need to make pitches better suited for our bowlers, both pacers and spinners. It will only serve our players better,” said Vaas in Kandy.

    First-class cricket is utterly disorganised in Sri Lanka. Those who are aware of the problem can only express their thoughts in public but do little else.

    Meanwhile, India are still piling on the runs.

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