Couldn't pay attention to controlling the run rate: SL spin-bowling coach

Sri Lanka rely heavily on spinners for success at home. Galle is one of their major hubs where they have won six of their 13 Tests since 2020. On Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand, however, the Lankan spinners erred in their length to let the Kiwis off the hook. Sri Lanka bowled 56 overs of spin in 62 overs of bowling. But their spinners — mainly Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis alongside the part-timers Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis — could neither stop the flow of runs nor pick wickets consistently. 

Consequently, New Zealand finished the day at 255/4, only 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s first innings total. The Kiwis batted at a run rate of 3.7 against the Lankan spinners as compared to only 2.3 from six overs of seam. The spin bowling coach Craig Howard felt the Sri Lankan spinners could have shown more consistency with their line and length. 

"If we'd bowled the way we'd have liked to, we'd be in a much better position," Howard said. "If we were able to hold our line and length for longer, it would have been much more difficult for the New Zealand batters to rotate the strike the way they did, and we'd have limited the boundary balls as well. We pay heavy attention to controlling the run rate, and we didn't do that today."

Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis managed only one wicket each while the latter even conceded at more than four runs per over. While Howard reckons that Jayasuriya will find his rhythm back given his experience of bowling in Galle, he put down Mendis’ poor day to lack of red-ball cricket. 

"Prabath was fractionally off. He's a very proud man. You average 22 at Galle for a reason, so I'm sure he'll come back, and I'm sure he'll have a major impact on this Test,” Howard spoke about the left-arm spinner. 

"Ramesh Mendis hasn't played a red-ball game for probably a few months now," Howard said. "He's been on an England tour not playing, and the LPL (Lanka Premier League) prior to that. He was probably a fraction off from a length-and-line point of view,” he added about Mendis. 

The Lankan spinners constantly leaked boundaries by bowling on the shorter side of the good length. On other occasions, they were too full and perished to a line-up of overseas batters who are fond of playing the sweep shots. 

"Control of line and length is the first thing. If we do that there's enough in this wicket. The game can speed up very quick in the back end. We could be one or two wickets away from having a first-innings lead. Ideally, we can go through them in a hurry and end up with a lead, but if not have a small target to catch up,” Howard spoke on the game situation and how the spinners can still make an impact in the remainder of the Test. 

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.