The gentleman’s game of cricket is a team game where performance holds the key for the success of a team. In recent times, both Sri Lanka and India did make a big leap through their consistent performances with both bat and ball conquered their opponents convincingly. Sri Lanka won the home series against a redoubtable Australian side, while India is in the verge of winning an overseas series with a 2-0 margin.
Winning is a habit and teams playing International matches should form combinations to put up a brave fight in the wake of adversities. The best part of the partnership came when Sri Lanka’s D de Silva and D. Chandimal added 211 runs for the sixth wicket after a precarious start of 26 for 5. Both scored hundreds to make a match of it. The stand not only prevented a collapse and that helped Sri Lankan side to win from a nowhere position.
Team India had its own problem facing pace bowling on seaming conditions. The early fall of wickets put pressure on batsmen to follow. Our team is fortunate to have a seasoned player to occupy number six spot as a batsman. Even though, Ashwin is a bowling all rounder he filled up the role of a middle order batsman with significant success. He did rescue act in the first test win, with a 168 run partnership with captain Virat Kohli and bagged man of the match award with a fine bowling spell in the second innings with a seven wicket haul. Amit Sharma gave him admirable company in the spin department. Again, in the third test when chips were down he had a handy partnership for the sixth wicket with wicket-keeper Saha after Team India was faltered to deceive at 126 for 5 score. Ashwin won the Man of the match award for giving good company and in partnership with both bat and ball most admirably well.
Pakistan’s Younis Khan (218) played a stellar role and made a big stride scoring his 32nd century in test cricket to help the Pakistani side to square the series against a professional English side in their own backyard. Age is not a bar for this seasoned player as he added 150 valuable runs with Asad Shafiq for the 4th wicket and chipped in with useful stand with tail end batsmen settle the score on even terms with a face saving innings. Misbah-ul-Haq (114) and Asad Shafiq stand of 148 decided the series opener at Lords. Huge stand by New Zealand batsmen led by Ross Taylor and openers with captain Williamson saw the team winning the series without much difficulty against Zimbabwe.
It is a matter of great pride that bright partnerships paved way for emphatic wins in World of cricket. For India Chandu Sarwate and Shute Banerjee added 249 for the last wicket against Surrey at The Oval. That was the only instance of Nos. 10 11 of a line-up get hundreds together in a First-class match and it is still a record in first class cricket. The game of cricket is a game of partnership and there is no doubt about it.
S. Abhishek Ramaswamy
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
