The grand celebrations of India’s T20 World Cup win might be over, but the hangover of the historic win still lingers. Now that Gautam Gambhir is on board as the new head coach, the dynamics are expected to be different when Team India takes on Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series, starting Friday in Pallekele.
India usher into an era without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Ravindra Jadeja in the shortest format. The onus will be on the youngsters with the leash in the hands of Suryakumar Yadav, who flourished under the wings of Gambhir during the latter’s IPL days in the KKR outfit.
While the Gambhir-Surya bond adds flair to this T20I series, it will be a testing ground for the Sri Lankans who look to find answers to numerous questions. With Charith Asalanka as the skipper and legendary Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim coach, the former World Champions would be itching to regain their stature in international cricket.
In an exclusive interview with News18 CricketNext, former Sri Lanka cricketer and commentator for the series on Sony Sports Network Russel Arnold spoke about Asalanka’s appointment as captain, how the seniors can step up to help the team achieve its pride, India’s future in the Gambhir era, and much more.
Here are the edited excerpts of the interview:
Arnold
Well, one of those Sri Lankan players who has been captaincy material since he was a schoolboy captained the Sri Lanka Under-19s. He reads the game well, and even as an individual player, he was touted as one of our best. He’s been slow in getting into the main position now that he’s in it, and Hassaranga, unfortunately, had to move on for the betterment of his game and the Sri Lankan team.
The time has finally come for a player we’ve always thought would be the man taking the team forward for many, many years. Tactically, he’s strong under pressure and strong individually. We’re now looking forward to seeing how he gets the better of the rest of the team in tricky encounters ahead.
How can Sri Lanka get their old rapport back? What has to be done with them?
Well, initially, the players need to take responsibility. There are also certain games at the T20 World Cup where they did not win moments. So those moments are won by the players themselves, making decisions then and there. So, with the players being rocked, their T20 World Cup being a flop, and they know about it, it’s hard. It’s a lonely place to be in.
So, we are now thinking that since it’s a fresh start, we’re looking at a new cycle; we’re looking at the new captain. There are a few new changes and even also fresh faces in the team. The combination is different, hence that freshness to actually allow them to express themselves and try and make up for what hasn’t been letting themselves down and letting the team down.
So, I reckon Sri Lankan players need to initially take responsibility. If they can make a few more better decisions while on the path, I think the results will change, and that will give us some direction.
So they were required to press the reset button and start from scratch again going ahead…
Yeah, pretty much so. But we’re always talking about the system and administrators and whatever. The initial responsibility lies on the players. And I believe our players—they’re talented, can do a lot more—so that’s where we start.
How will it be facing a team like India, currently the T20 world champions? As you said, Sri Lanka needs to get better if the players take responsibility.
I think it’s going to be closer than you think. The Sri Lankan players will be up for this. Sri Lanka, on the whole, have realized areas they need to develop, areas they need to address to get the team better in terms of skills; You get top-order batters, middle-order batters, you can hit the ball hard, you get the power hitters.
So, from such angles, certain areas have also been identified. They’re working on it, and I think since there’s a clearer direction, they will do better and if and maybe even catch India nothing. Sri Lanka’s bowling, there’s no doubt that they do have variety and a strong bowling line-up.
They need to get all three departments firing together, and it’s amazing what a few wins can do to you. So if you can get a couple of wins against the defending champions, as you said, whether it be the first fifteen or first eleven who are here, India have quality and depth. Hence, they will always be very difficult to beat. It’s a good challenge, and I think it will be a lot more interesting and tighter than a lot of people think.
The squad for the India series includes 3-4 former captains. Since they do not have leadership responsibilities, this is a great chance for them to bring their best game to the fore.
There’s no better opportunity. Everyone’s there because they, as right now or anytime, you are the best available players that are there. And if Sri Lanka are to take that turn, whether it’s captain or whoever you are, it really doesn’t matter.
You have to show up, then you have to do your job and you have to complement the team. If not, this team is not going to take a U-turn. So that is the focus of it.
Of course, the experience is there. Sri Lanka doesn’t have a vice-captain. The reason is simple. There’s so much experience, and it’s not fair to appoint a former captain as a vice-captain. So, those windows are open for plenty of help for Sri Lanka in taking the team forward.
But it’s just about getting out there and doing the business, whoever you are or wherever you are from.
Speaking about the bowlers, the likes of Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, and Nuwan Tushara are some of the top performers in the IPL. In fact, Pathirana did well in the LPL and so did Hasaranga. Do you expect them to bring all those experiences to challenge India?
It has to be! They take a lead role in making a change in Sri Lanka’s fortunes. Yes, Sri Lanka have a good bowling attack, but it’s important to be fair to them and give them runs on the board. You put the runs on the board. I’m sure that bowlers will do their bit, but if they’re asked to do too much, in the sense of always having to pick up wickets or always looking for glory balls, it becomes hard.
As a bowling unit, however, or even any bowler who’s however good he is, he needs to do the basics right. That’s when he gets the results. So, you must give them that or put them in that position that they can do their basics and didn’t get the results rather than always having to just pull a rabbit out of the hat.
The absence of Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva… was their snub surprising?
No, not at all. The squad, when I look at it, I can’t find fault with it. I might have. The only reason I might have thought was Bhanuka Rajapaksa for the way he battered in the last couple of games, he was outstanding. But then when you look at the squad, you have to balance the squad as well.
So, kind of makes sense how he missed out or why he missed out, but I really can’t find too much mind fault with it. And yes, Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva… I’m definitely not surprised.
SLC has roped in legendary Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim coach for the series. How major is the move, given that the cricketing structure needs a serious revamp?
Well, Sanath Jayasuriya was involved as a consultant and at the moment Sri Lanka have started the process of looking for a head coach. He’s interim coach. He stepped up to make sure that everything worked smoothly and his play, as you know, he’s played a lot of cricket and done wonders and things.
He will know what the boys lack. He understands the culture, he will know how to handle them, get a message across and probably even push them. And then I’m thinking about shortcomings he might have as a coach. People have their strengths and weaknesses, so it’s about getting the required support, which will be done to address any specific areas that need to be.
And hence that’s all we can ask for. We can ask for effort, we can ask for change, we can ask for the direction and I think we’re getting it at the moment.
With the recent changeover in Indian team management, how do you see Gautam Gambhir taking up the coaching role?
Well, it will be interesting, but Gautam Gambir, as you said, knows his stuff. He knows how to handle people, he knows how to handle teams and whatever team he’s been involved with has got the results.
So sometimes players, when we play, we are able to go out there and perform, but then it becomes a challenge to get a message across, and get others to perform, which Gautam Gambhir has shown that he can do. We definitely know it’s going to be a different style.
There’ll be a bit of adjustment for people to come to terms with Gautam Gambhir, but I think the change is also good because then you become too familiar with one system and hence they’ll be shaken up, maybe even woken up that you still need to get better and you still need to perform a lot more.
So, I think going in opposite directions it might just excite everyone and keep everyone on their toes too.
With Gambhir as head coach and Suryakumar Yadav getting appointed as the Indian captain in T20Is, how do you see the team doing under their companionship?
I think India do will well because you know that they have this, skill and talent.
Sri Lanka have skill and talent but haven’t been able to put that into performances. Indian players know how to do that. They have too much depth. They’ve been able to create that, so they’re blessed.
So, I think, even for the players, they do understand if they want to be a part [of the team], they’ve got to be performing all the time. So no one’s being complacent and hence they will always be strong and going forward.
Suryakumar Yadav is an exceptional player, probably one of the better T20 players going around to be able to play like that. He’s got to be understanding and reading the game in ways that other others don’t.
So, that’s going to be a different new dimension that India will add to themselves. If you take the flair of Suri Kumar Yadav and then Gautam Gambhir, probably, that intense competitiveness, I think they will complement each other. That’s what you need.
You can’t have both characters the same so that you know India might get a balance in how the two personalities are.
(Watch the live coverage of the India Tour of Sri Lanka, 7 PM onwards starting on 27th July 2024 LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 1 in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 in Hindi and Sony Sports Ten 4 channels in Tamil & Telugu. Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster for the India Tour of Sri Lanka in India – comprising three T20Is & three ODIs.)
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