{"id":139935,"date":"2024-08-06T18:05:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T18:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=139935"},"modified":"2024-08-06T18:06:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T18:06:33","slug":"a-rollicking-return-to-odi-cricket-by-vandersay-by-andrew-fidel-fernando","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/a-rollicking-return-to-odi-cricket-by-vandersay-by-andrew-fidel-fernando\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rollicking Return to ODI Cricket by Vandersay-by Andrew Fidel Fernando"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Rollicking Return to ODI Cricket by Vandersay-by Andrew Fidel Fernando<\/span><\/h2>\n

Source:<\/span><\/strong>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Andrew\u00a0<\/em>Fidel Fernando in ESPNcricinfo,\u00a05 August 2024 \u2013<\/a>\u2013 where the title is\u00a0\u201cVandersay brings the vibes back for Sri Lanka\u201d\u00a0\u2026.\u00a0 with highlighting imposed by The editor, Thuppahi<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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The legspinner\u00a0 Vandersay has had a stop-start international career but produced a remarkable performance.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take much to win them over. It was only five nights ago that Sri Lanka\u2019s batters tanked what seemed to be\u00a0an untankable T20I<\/a>, the middle order collapsing with such seismic ferocity even the batting in the Super Over was shaken.\u00a0Spectators were incensed, and let the team know it.\u00a0<\/strong>Hundreds in Pallekele gathered on the edge of the grass banks closest to the presentation ceremony and demanded answers from\u00a0Charith Asalanka<\/a>, the only player who emerged from the dressing room. Sticking around until well after the last wicket fell to scream their frustrations.\u00a0This was after midnight on a weekday \u2013 fan feedback driven almost totally by spite.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Jeffrey Vandersay had a night to remember<\/span><\/span>\u2022<\/span>AFP\/Getty Images<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/div>\n
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By the second half of Sunday\u2019s ODI, the\u00a0papare<\/i>\u00a0was blaring, a Lankan crowd was in voice, an India middle order was crashing,<\/strong>\u00a0the vibes were back. It didn\u2019t take much, never\u00a0has<\/i>\u00a0taken much, doesn\u2019t seem like it ever\u00a0will<\/i>\u00a0take much. On its best days, Khettarama feels less a cricket ground, more a party that happens to have shimmied up to a cricket ground.<\/span><\/div>\n
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This team crashed out of the T20 World Cup at the earliest opportunity. They haven\u2019t qualified for next year\u2019s Champions trophy. They\u2019re ranked as low as\u2026 well\u2026 let\u2019s not depress ourselves.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Still, this public still looks for reasons to show up. On Friday, only about a third of Khettarama was full, but\u00a0the team pulled off a tie<\/a>, which after 10 straight losses to India, felt a little like a victory. On Sunday, expectedly, many more rolled up, clutching Sri Lanka flags.\u00a0Helped by a strong contingent of India fans, the stands appeared at least 90% full.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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The middle order, so meek in the T20s, found its spine for the second match in a row in\u00a0Dunith Wellalage<\/a>, whose name has been on Khettarama\u2019s lips since he impressed in a series against Australia two years ago.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\u201cAs much as we want to play the game and win, we need them supporting us. It\u2019s a process. It will take time. But I believe we are on the right track.\u201d\u00a0 \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.. Jeffrey Vandersay<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
But they truly came alive for\u00a0Jeffrey Vandersay<\/a>,\u00a0shunted into the team at the last moment after Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out.<\/strong>\u00a0On the kind of big-spinning surface that tends to narrow the gap between these two teams,\u00a0he bowled sublime wicket-to-wicket lines, excellent lengths, and vitally changed up the tilt of the seam.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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Some caught the seam and turned or leapt big \u2013 the ball that had Rohit Sharma caught at backward point, the ball to get Shubman Gill caught at slip, the one to trap Shivam Dube in front. Others slid on, like the balls that dismissed Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. His was almost a Test-match mode of attack, on what essentially felt like a dustbowl day-four surface.<\/span><\/div>\n
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India had raced to 97 for no loss on the back of another Rohit fast start. But although there were big cheers for Rohit\u2019s departure, it was when Gill was dismissed that the crowd lifted leaping at their seats, almost as spectacularly as\u00a0Kamindu Mendis<\/a>\u00a0leapt to his right to complete the tour\u2019s most exquisite grab, at slip.<\/span><\/div>\n