Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s man of the hour

The Sri Lankan cricket faithful were seen in absolute disbelief the day their board announced the 15-man squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup. Apart from the fact that several veterans were dropped, a certain Dimuth Karunaratne was named the skipper after Lasith Malinga was asked to step down.

The quarrel after all had a valid point. Karunaratne hadn’t played a single ODI since the 2015 World Cup and had only 17 ODIs to show for where he averaged a lowly 15.83, with his highest score being a mere 60.

Karunaratne, an out-an-out Test player, had just guided the Islanders to a historic 2-0 Test series whitewash against South Africa (in South Africa) in February early this year to make them the only Asian side to win a Test series in the region. And thus, his appointment as a new captain was solely based on his performances in the longest format of the game. Not many had expected him to be Lanka’s guiding light during the World Cup given the fact that the team – in the ODIs – wasn’t performing anyway. In fact, the Lankan Lions had won just two of their 11 ODIs in 2019.

His team might have struggled, but #DimuthKarunaratne had a day to remember against New Zealand – he became only the second player to carry his bat in a World Cup match!

West Indies' Ridley Jacobs was the first, scoring 49* against Australia in 1999.#CWC19 pic.twitter.com/oOswIpvrV0

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 1, 2019

Heading into the World Cup, Sri Lanka had nothing to lose. They started their conquest against the mighty New Zealand and while the entire batting crumbled, a certain Karunaratne stood out, scoring an unbeaten 52 off 84 deliveries. Although it came at a losing cause, he became only the second player to carry the bat in a World Cup game after West Indies’ Ridley Jacobs. His record also extended the national figures as he became the second Sri Lankan captain to do the aforementioned in the ODIs after Upul Tharanga’s antics in 2017.

And following a win over Afghanistan in their second World Cup fixture, it was time for a stern Australian challenge at The Oval on Saturday. For the skipper, he was aware what Australia had in store for them. “We know they are going to go really hard against us, but they can only bowl two bouncers an over so we can be ready for those things,” he had said on the eve of that tie.

Winning the toss and opting to bowl saw Australia crushing the Lankan plans to mere perfection. The defending champions posted a whopping 334 on board and it was time for their bowlers to make an impact. Little did they know though that the moisture had parched with the sunshine and the likes of Karunaratne and Kusal Perera were braced to wreak havoc.

A partnership of 115 runs meant that Australia’s blueprint had taken a massive hit. Their approach of not going with a front-line spinner backfired as all of their four quicks stumbled to pick wickets and conceded heavy. As for Karunaratne, he was attacking from all fronts given that his side had less to lose. The crowd was getting on feats with every boundary their captain was smashing.

Completing his half-century off mere 43 deliveries, the skipper raised the roof with his mere perfect shot selections. He wasn’t an ‘out-an-out’ Test player anymore. He rather deemed like an experienced ODI campaigner who was just toying with the Australian pace battery as if he is used to it.

And although he missed his maiden ODI century by just three runs, he established himself in the league of greats. His 108-ball 97 made him the highest scorer against Australia in a World Cup game as a Sri Lanka captain. Overall, his figures are now only the third best (as a captain) against the defending champions in the World Cup.

Sri Lanka, with five points after five games in the tournament, sit fifth in the table and although their chances of getting a place in the semis look bleak, it is safe to say they have found their savior in the most unlikely personnel.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington