Dilhara Fernando - a new headache for India
19 August 2001
As if Sanath Jayasuriya and Muthiah Muralitharan were not enough,
India now have to contend with the firepower of Dilhara Fernando too
in the next two Tests.
The latest Sri Lankan pace discovery tormented the Indian batting
line-up, finishing with match-figures of six for 77 in the first Test
at Galle which the hosts won by ten wickets. And if his coach is to be
believed, this was just the beginning.
"He could be averaging 94 miles per hour (about 150 kph) soon enough,"
Romesh Ratnayake said of his protege sending a warning to the Indians
ahead of the second Test at Kandy starting on Wednesday.
The bowler himself was not too excited by the tremendous pace that he
generates, making him probably the fastest Sri Lankan ever.
"Possessing pace is okay but it is nothing if you can't take wickets,"
he told PTI in a telephonic interview.
He knows how to take wickets though. He simply ran through the Indian
middle order on the morning of the second day of the Galle Test for
his second five-wicket in an innings haul in just the sixth match.
"My theory is simple. You keep bowling in the right channel and sooner
or later the results will show," he said.
The lanky fast bowler first came to prominence when he took five
wickets in an innings against South Africa in the Durban Test last
year. It was the only bright spot in that series for Sri Lankans who
were crushed in both the Tests.
Fernando, who honed his skills at the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai
during a stint in 1998, rates that spell as his best of the career so
far. "Simply, because I was bowling against batsmen who are more used
to fast bowling," he said matter of factly without any intention of
running down the Indians.
The control on line and length that he showed against the Indians was
rare considering he was bowling with a new ball for the first time in
his career. "I had not previously bowled with the new ball. But after
Nuwan (Zoysa) was injured, I was asked to take the new ball. Also, I
didn't have enough confidence in myself," he said.
Though the lack of confidence was hardly evident, Fernando must have
made up for it after his superlative performance in the first Test.
What he missed in the first Test though, was an opportunity to bowl to
batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who is not playing in the series due
to a toe injury. Fernando said he would love to bowl to the master
batsman who has an excellent record against Sri Lanka. However, it is
an ambition for which he will have to wait till Sri Lanka play India
next just ahead of the 2003 World Cup.
Fernando did another favour to his team in the first Test, though
inadvertently. He increased India's misery by injuring Javagal
Srinath, who has been ruled out of the series, and thus ensuring that
his own team doesn't have to face the most experienced of the Indian
bowlers any more in this series. Srinath was hit on his left hand by a
rising delivery while batting in the first innings.
Fernando has tried very hard to avoid being expensive. He had an
economy rate in excess of four runs an over against England and South
Africa.
But his total haul of nine wickets from the two series boosted him.
Fernando concentrated on his accuracy and got immediate results
against India against whom he has conceded just 1.83 runs per over.
In the triangular series too, which preceded the Test, he was the
joint top wicket-taker with three others and his 11 wickets came every
27th delivery at an economy rate of 4.12 per over.
Fernando is considered as the newest pace sensation after Chaminda
Vaas but he would not get into an argument on speed. He has enormous
respect for Vaas and has received a lot of advice from the seasoned
campaigner. It is apparent he regards Vaas as a role model and has a
healthy regard on how the left-arm paceman has remained a top bowler
despite a small build and physique.
Fernando is now working on becoming a good batsman too. "I really want
to improve my batting," he said. Wonder what would be India's fate if
he could bat with the same fire with which he bowls.
© PTI