ICC Champions Trophy 2013: India vs Sri Lanka

There were quite a few lacklustre performers in yesterday’s game, so in order to save time and spare readers the agony of a long, winding story, I’ve tried to narrow it down to just those who didn’t have too much fun against India. Here are some of the Flops for the Day:

Kusal Perera (4 runs off 8 balls – 1 four)

Suresh Raina of India celebrates catching Kusal Perera of Sri Lanka

Scoring 82 runs in a warm-up game against the same opposition isn’t exactly a proper indication of a batsman’s abilities. Kusal seems to have gone off the boil since that knock. What Sri Lanka needed was a solid start at the top, and with Dilshan blasting away at the other end, all the southpaw had to do was hold one end up and keep the scoreboard ticking. He was dismissed by a peach of a delivery from the impressive Bhuvneshwar Kumar after making only 4. That’s a worrisome sign for someone who seems to be a long-term prospect for Sri Lanka.

Lahiru Thirimanne (7 runs off 31 balls – 1 four)

Ishant Sharma of India celebrates the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne

Coming in after opener Tillakaratne Dilshan retired due to a calf strain, Thirimanne spent five overs in scoring just 7 before becoming the first of Ishant Sharma‘s three victims. No footwork, a lazy stroke offered to an away-going delivery and consuming too many deliveries while struggling to score – those are the areas that Lahiru needs to work on before even thinking about cementing his place in the ODI side.

Thisara Perera (0 runs off 4 balls; 0/25 in 6 overs)

Like Dilshan, this guy is also a pain in the neck for India. He bowls fast and hits the ball a long way. However, when it comes to batting, Thisara simply chooses to be a mindless slogger and has zero patience. This was evident from the way he got out – trying to hoist SRH teammate Ishant out of the park, only to see the ball land in the safe hands of another SRH player – Shikhar Dhawan. With the ball, too, he was ineffective, conceding 25 runs in his 6 overs. He has a long way to go yet if he wants to be a permanent fixture in the team.

Lasith Malinga (7 n.o. off 2 balls – 1 four; 0/54 in 8 overs)

“Slinga” Malinga is highly over-rated these days. He seems to have been put off his game completely whenever he plays against India – memories of Virat Kohli‘s brutal assault at Hobart have taken a toll on his psyche, it seems. While batting, Malinga finished the innings in style with a lofted boundary off R Ashwin. But he proved profligate with the ball, and was taken to the cleaners by Delhi lads Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. There’s not much a captain or a team can do if the strike bowler goes for plenty, except hope and pray that he bounces back quickly. Unfortunately, that did not happen for the Lankans.