Piyal Wijetunge requires ‘persistence’ and ‘consistency’ amongst younger spinners

On a pitch that presented considerable help, Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling trainer felt his bowlers had been reasonably overeager

However on a pitch that presented considerable help, Wijetunge concept his bowlers had been reasonably overeager.

“I am not 100% satisfied – we will have carried out significantly better. We’ve got been lacking traces and lengths very often,” Wijetunge mentioned of the efficiency. “Now we have were given 3 younger spinners, and in this pitch, which turns so much, I believe we had been making an attempt too exhausting to get wickets. We wish to have persistence, for the reason that pitch does lend a hand us.

“As a substitute of bowling the ball in a single spot and looking ahead to the pitch to do the paintings, we went attempting to find wickets. We attempted too many stuff. However of those 3 spinners, Lasith Embuldeniya has performed 12 [11] Exams, Praveen Jayawickrama has performed two [one], and Ramesh Mendis 3 [two]. They wish to stay construction on their consistency.”

Alternatively, Wijetunge did imagine that Sri Lanka’s spin bowling used to be typically in a just right position, with those 3 spinners round for the Check structure, and others coming throughout the machine. Sri Lanka are fielding two frontline left-arm spinners for the primary time because the retirement of Rangana Herath (he had once in a while performed along Malinda Warnapura past due in his occupation). Wijetunge defined Embuldeniya and Jayawickrama’s contrasting strengths.

“Lasith Embuldeniya is a traditional sort left-arm spinner, and of the 3 who’re enjoying this sport, he is probably the most constant in relation to his capability.

“Praveen took 11 wickets on debut, and in this Galle pitch we might anyway believe him. He is were given herbal variation, with the seam angles he makes use of. The ball straightens and when it hits the seam, it spins greater than [it does] for the others. When they have got publicity and enjoy, they’re undoubtedly going to be matchwinners.”

The place Jayawickrama, specifically, has a tight straighter ball, however Embuldeniya has no longer but advanced a just right model of that variation – one thing that used to be evident all the way through England’s excursion of Sri Lanka in January. The place Emuldeniya and Wijetunge may have ordinarily labored on creating a straighter supply throughout the process the yr, this has no longer been imaginable in 2021.

“The one who is available in [to the right-hander] is undoubtedly one who we need to paintings on with Embuldeniya. However with Covid-19 and the protocols round it, it’s been tricky to paintings in new abilities. We get bubbled a most of 2 weeks sooner than the collection, and the one factor we will do as coaches then is to get the avid gamers game-ready.

“Earlier than this, we had low season practicing on the top efficiency centre, the place we will have advanced permutations, or labored on consistency. However we’ve not had that opportunity, and there are most effective 5 or 6 skill-training classes in keeping with collection.”