Herath thinks SL get a right team combination
He supersedes Akrams Test wickets record as left-arm bowler
Md Abu Talha Sarker
Sri Lankan record-holding left-arm spinner Rangana Herath on Saturday said that they have got a right team combination what they were looking for after the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardane.
The Islanders were struggling hard to find out the proper combination for Test, one-day alongside Twenty20 crickets following their veteran duos retirement. For their void, they suffered a lot for the last two years.
Before being retired from international cricket in 2015, wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara played 134 Tests for Sri Lanka along with 404 one-day and 56 T20 internationals and 28,016 runs across the formats, while Mahela Jayawardane played 149 Tests alongside 448 one-day and 55 T20Is for Sri Lanka and scored 25,957 runs across all the formats.
When Sanga (Sangakkara) and Mahela (Jayawardane) left the team, it was a lot of runs [that left as well], said Rangana Herath, who eclipsed Wasim Akram to climb the top spot as left-arm bowler. Akram ended his career with 414 wickets in Test cricket.
Now, for the last three years later we are rebuilding the side.., Rangana told media at the post-match press conference after winning the Test series 1-0 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium yesterday.
But now I can see the proper team with youth and experience, especially Roshen and Dananjaya and Kusal Mendis, he added.
The 39-year-old left-arm spinner, who superseded Wasim Akrams record by playing less than 13 Tests, said that they want to maintain with the team what they got from the blend of the senior and junior players.
Not only this one, even when we played in Dubai, we won 2-0 against Pakistan. Had a bad series in India. So, all in all, I feel weve started another journey with the Test team, hopefully we can continue with that, the experienced bowler, who placed second in Sri Lanka after top wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan.
When asked if Bangladesh approach made him surprised, Herath said that he didnt surprise at all to see Tigers intent because they hadnt much options in hands except attacking and defensive what they tried to apply against them.
The surface didnt give much assistance to the batters, more for spinners. Its not an easy surface to bat on. Comparing Chittagong and here, spinners get more, thats what happened if you take the scores and averages, Herath thought.
