Flexibility could hurt Dilshan
Dilshan has been a constant for many years now, a significant part of many of their successes and evolution. But what exactly is he, what is his role?
Osman Samiuddin
22-Jan-2009
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Tillakaratne Dilshan is difficult to place in the great scheme of modern
Sri Lankan cricket. He's been a constant for many years now, a significant
part of many of their successes and evolution. But what exactly is he,
what is his role?
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have carried on a tradition of
batting as solid as it is pretty, Muttiah Muralitharan, the resident legend,
Chaminda Vaas, the pace role model, but where in this lies Dilshan? If he
inspires young men to field as he does, he will have served a grand role,
but fielding has rarely been given its due in cricket.
He looks too good a batsman to be a bits n' pieces kind of guy, the kind
who'll make an energetic 30 lower down the order and then add another 30
on a good day with his fielding and some flat off-spin. He's been shunted
around the ODI order - he's batted in all positions down to eight.
From No. 6, where he has mostly been found and which could be a role
of sorts, of the finisher, he averages under 30. His career average is under 30 as well. It isn't perhaps fair to expect much more from so low in the order, but to see him play the way he has in the last two ODIs is to wrestle with a feeling of waste.
He had only opened thrice before this series and was doing so here because
of an injury to Upul Tharanga. But on the admittedly limited sample of two
matches on batting-friendly wickets, something about the move has seemed
right.
Clearly he likes pace. He doesn't much like hanging around, settling in
and setting up for a long hand. If he sees it well enough, early enough,
it will go. Nothing is left behind in any attacking shot he plays, though
the forcefulness isn't that of a bullying bludgeoner; there is some art to
it. He is a good-looking hooker too, with a real whip in his arms when he
does, but he is a compulsive one and in both games, it has ultimately led
to his downfall.
Still, against a good pace attack, he has twice provided Sri Lanka starts
that should lead to 300-plus totals. He has enjoyed it too. "I have felt
really comfortable with it," he said. "I was looking forward to batting in
the top order, I wanted the opportunity and I am happy with it."
Could this be then the shaping of a new role? He has already been opening
the batting domestically over the last year with some success and with
Sanath Jayasuriya bound to retire at some point, a void will have to be
filled. It may not happen though as the very trait that makes it difficult
to define Dilshan - his everywhere, everyman utility - is the trait his
captain values the most.
"What happened was that Dilly [Dilshan] was getting left out in Bangladesh
but once he started scoring runs he had to come back," said Jayawardene.
"He's been opening in domestic cricket and Upul's finger was bad so we
decided to move him up. He's done it before but not with so much success.
"He feels comfortable there. He's an attacking batsman and he likes pace.
He's a good hooker and puller. I think he's got a bigger role to play in
the middle order. He's good because he can bat anywhere and now we have
options in the batting which is what we want."
The thinking is impeccably modern; options, flexibility, utility. And, on
the balance of what Sri Lanka have achieved mostly with Dilshan in the
side, it is probably justified. But the ease with which he has filled what
is such a difficult role, the comfort with which he has attacked, just
makes you wonder whether modernity is all that it is cracked up to be.
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo