A tantrum and a missed chance
Plays of the day from the third ODI between West Indies and Sri Lanka in Pallekele
Andrew Fidel Fernando
07-Nov-2015
Tillakaratne Dilshan's dismissal finally gave Carlos Brathwaite a reason to cheer • AFP
The tantrum
Jonathan Carter dropped a catch at backward point off Carlos Brathwaite's bowling in the sixth over, but Brathwaite's reaction to the drop perhaps cost a wicket. Brathwaite turned back to his bowling mark, livid, but failed to notice that non-striker Kusal Perera had ventured most of the way down the pitch, and a run-out opportunity had materialised at the non-striker's end. Carter picked the ball up from the ground and attempted to throw down the stumps, but Brathwaite had his head down, and his ears seemingly closed. He got in the way of the throw, and the chance went begging. Thankfully for West Indies, Tillakaratne Dilshan played an identical shot next ball and Carter held firm this time.
Jonathan Carter dropped a catch at backward point off Carlos Brathwaite's bowling in the sixth over, but Brathwaite's reaction to the drop perhaps cost a wicket. Brathwaite turned back to his bowling mark, livid, but failed to notice that non-striker Kusal Perera had ventured most of the way down the pitch, and a run-out opportunity had materialised at the non-striker's end. Carter picked the ball up from the ground and attempted to throw down the stumps, but Brathwaite had his head down, and his ears seemingly closed. He got in the way of the throw, and the chance went begging. Thankfully for West Indies, Tillakaratne Dilshan played an identical shot next ball and Carter held firm this time.
The repeat
It was a strange enough dismissal to happen once. In the first over, Johnson Charles saw a short ball from Lasith Malinga, and tamely fended him to point, perhaps having expected a much quicker delivery. Jermaine Blackwood replaced Charles at the crease, but didn't seem to have learned from the opener's mistakes. He got an almost identical ball from Malinga in the fifth over, and stuck his bat out just like Charles had, to send a catch to the very same fielder.
It was a strange enough dismissal to happen once. In the first over, Johnson Charles saw a short ball from Lasith Malinga, and tamely fended him to point, perhaps having expected a much quicker delivery. Jermaine Blackwood replaced Charles at the crease, but didn't seem to have learned from the opener's mistakes. He got an almost identical ball from Malinga in the fifth over, and stuck his bat out just like Charles had, to send a catch to the very same fielder.
The lightning bolt
Not since Lasith Malinga's early days have Sri Lanka had a bowler capable of rushing international batsmen, until Dushmantha Chameera turned up on the selectors' radar. He didn't move the ball much, but raw pace accounted for at least one of his wickets on Saturday. He sent a rapid, skidding, short ball at Denesh Ramdin in the 11th over. The batsman, seemingly at a loss as to how to deal with this pace, simply turned his head and attempted to drop his hands, but the ball took the glove, and floated over his head, to the keeper.
Not since Lasith Malinga's early days have Sri Lanka had a bowler capable of rushing international batsmen, until Dushmantha Chameera turned up on the selectors' radar. He didn't move the ball much, but raw pace accounted for at least one of his wickets on Saturday. He sent a rapid, skidding, short ball at Denesh Ramdin in the 11th over. The batsman, seemingly at a loss as to how to deal with this pace, simply turned his head and attempted to drop his hands, but the ball took the glove, and floated over his head, to the keeper.
The bad leave
Darren Bravo has routinely come in after the fall of early wickets during this tour, so his circumspection is understandable, but a little more positivity might have helped him in this match. Spotting a back-of-a-length delivery from Suranga Lakmal, who was angling the ball in to the left-hander from around the wicket, Bravo chose to shoulder arms. The ball nipped back a fraction, and clipped the top of off stump to end a modest ODI series for Bravo.
Darren Bravo has routinely come in after the fall of early wickets during this tour, so his circumspection is understandable, but a little more positivity might have helped him in this match. Spotting a back-of-a-length delivery from Suranga Lakmal, who was angling the ball in to the left-hander from around the wicket, Bravo chose to shoulder arms. The ball nipped back a fraction, and clipped the top of off stump to end a modest ODI series for Bravo.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @andrewffernando