Slinging in the lethal yorkers
Lasith
Malinga. Only one to snare two hat-tricks, including four wickets in four
deliveries, in the World Cup.
ONE-DAY WORLD CUP BOWLING: Balls 1394, Maidens
11, Runs 1281, Wickets 56, Average 22.87, Best Bowling 6/38, Runs/Over 5.51
A quaint action somewhere between the underarm and the overarm, facilitating the slipping in of lethal yorkers beneath the willow, putting at risk batsmen’s toes as much as the base of stumps, a thick mop of streaked curly locks bouncing in his spirited run-up, have made the little pace dynamo unique as well as an unforgettable character of the game. Lasith Malinga is as original as one can find, a strike bowler like no other.
The bemused batsmen from Bermuda would have seen nothing like him. Like the other bowlers he enjoyed the easy picking, returning with an analysis of 5-2-10-3. The newcomers collapsed to 78 all out.
Having upset India, Bangladesh could not offer much resistance to the Lankan attack. Malinga had Tamim Iqbal caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara. He then got Aftab Ahmed to top-edge a short ball, for Sanath Jayasuriya to take the skier at square-leg. Malinga had tailender Abdur Razzak snapped up by Sangakkara again as the delivery took off from a length just outside off. Bangladesh were bowled out for 112 in 37 overs. Malinga’s booty this time was three for 27 off 6 overs.
A desperate India could not mount a challenge and packed up for 185. Malinga picked up a late wicket. Sri Lanka had won all their Group B matches with ease, their bowling outfit having cleaned up all 30 wickets.
It was in the super-eight clash with South Africa that Malinga created a sensation towards the end. After 7 overs he had taken no wicket, having conceded 43 runs. Chasing a target of 210, the Proteas were sailing at 206 for five in the 45th over. Malinga’s fifth delivery was a slower one that foxed Shaun Pollock and hit his leg-stick. Next ball, Andrew Hall spooned a yorker into the hands of Upul Tharanga in the covers. One run came off the next over. Jacques Kallis, batting on 86, tried to finish off the match by square-driving the first delivery of Malinga’s next over, but to his chagrin only edged it into the gloves of Sangakkara. Malinga had grabbed the fifth hat-trick of the World Cup as the nervous South Africans searched for those winning runs. Makhaya Ntini could barely get his bat down before the lethal yorker smashed into his middle stump. Malinga had created a sensation around the Providence Stadium with his four-in-four devastation. He conceded just one run in his last four deliveries as the batsmen fiddled around, barely surviving. A maiden followed, and then Malinga’s first delivery missed the outside edge by a whisker. Amid mounting tension, Robin Peterson edged the next to the boundary, just managing to pull off a win by one wicket. Malinga returned with four wickets for 54, nearly sneaking a highly improbable win. It is drama like this that Malinga was always likely to conjure. He shared the man-of-the-match award with Charl Langeveldt who had a five-wicket haul to his name.
Once Sri Lanka had posted 303 for five, hosts West Indies were subdued easily. Chris Gayle was sucked into Malinga’s delivery way outside off, hitting a steepler that was taken at long-on, the first wicket to fall at 20. Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, playing a strange kind of innings having scored 17 off 53 balls without a boundary, suddenly decided to alter his plans. He hit an off-side four and then used the long handle against Muttiah Muralitharan, periodically launching the great off-spinner for 4 sixes. As Malinga bowled the first ball of the 42nd over, Chanderpaul sent it sailing over square-leg for his 5th six. Predictably, Malinga yorked him off-stump next ball. Sri Lanka went on to register a 113-run win. This time Malinga bagged two for 34 off 5 overs.
There was another cliff-hanger with England. After Sri Lanka had put up 235, Chaminda Vaas dismissed captain Michael Vaughan for a duck. Malinga then trapped Ed Joyce leg-before, and suddenly England were 11 for two after 5.2 overs. The following batsmen battled hard, but England were in trouble at 133 for six with 33.3 overs having been bowled. Ravi Bopara and wicketkeeper Paul Nixon staged a rearguard act, carrying the score to 220. Off the fifth ball of the penultimate over, Malinga had Nixon holing out in the covers. Bopara drove the last delivery through the covers to the ropes. There were now 12 runs required off the final over and 3 off the very last ball. Dilhara Fernando bowled a beauty that knocked the top of Bopara’s off-stump. Sri Lanka pulled off a two-run victory. Malinga’s share was two wickets for 50 in his quota of 10 overs.
He missed the last three super-eight matches with an ankle injury but was back for the semi-final. With Sri Lanka having piled up 289 for five, Malinga struck straightaway, his third delivery screaming into skipper Stephen Fleming’s pad in front of the stumps. That was his solitary wicket at an expense of 21 runs with two maidens in 7 overs. New Zealand folded up for 208.
Adam Gilchrist made the final his own with his hurricane hundred but Malinga broke his huge opening stand of 172 with Matthew Hayden. The big left-hander was playing a remarkably subdued supporting role to the marauding wicketkeeper when he tried to loft Malinga over the covers, for Mahela Jayawardene to take a fine catch springing up just at the right moment. Later he castled Shane Watson but Australia hoisted a mammoth 281 for four in the truncated 38-overs-a-side match. Malinga’s two wickets cost 49 runs in 8 overs, and he bowled the only maiden of the innings. Sri Lanka faded along with the light and had to be content with the runners-up prize.
Malinga took wickets in each of the eight matches that he played, logging a tally of 18 at a brilliant average of 15.77, evidence of his striking ability. He bowled with fire right through, an ideal foil to the experienced Vaas.
Once again he had to sit out the first two matches of the 2011 World Cup. Having recuperated, he was back and how! The first ball of his second over was a venomous trademark inswinging yorker that made a mess of the hapless Kenyan opener Seren Waters, and sent him packing leg-before. Another perfect indipping yorker in his second spell disturbed the furniture behind Collins Obuya. The last ball of his seventh over was once again the toe-crusher that found Tanmay Mishra in front of the sticks. He churned out another lethal yorker first up in his next over that crashed into Peter Ongondo’s middle stump. Malinga was once again on a hat-trick as Shem Ngoche took guard. Predictably, it was another of those under-the-bat thunderbolts which was too good for the no. 10 and darted into the stumps. Malinga had become the first to rip out two hat-tricks in the World Cup. After a wide that ran away to the fine-leg boundary and a dot ball, the fourth legitimate delivery of the over was an action replay of his earlier yorkers, which the mesmerized Elijah Otieno could do nothing about and the leg-stick took the brunt. Kenya were all out for 142; Malinga had a bounty of six wickets, having expended 38 runs in 7.4 overs. Sri Lanka took only 18.4 overs to speed to a nine-wicket triumph. Malinga was man-of-the-match.
The game versus Australia was washed out after less than 33 overs in the Lankan innings. Malinga went wicketless as Zimbabwe were trounced easily. There was one wicket for him at the end as the Kiwis wilted. The thrashing of England in the quarter-final also had him pick up a sole wicket.
After this lean phase, he bowled the first over in the semi-final, and then returned only in the 22nd over. That vicious inswinging yorker, for the umpteenth time, went right through Martin Guptill and crashed into the timber. As Scott Stryis went after Malinga, Kane Williamson too tried to emulate his senior but was another victim of the Malinga patent, the pad in the way right in front. In his next over, Nathan McCullum tried a mighty swing to leg off one that came on slowly and merely nicked it to Sangakkara. Malinga’s haul was three for 55 in 9 overs, with New Zealand being bowled out for 217. The Lankan batsmen ensured a five-wicket win.
Jayawardene gave the side a great opportunity in the final with a magnificent century, and Malinga provided a tremendous opening with two monumental early strikes. Virender Sehwag was rapped on the pad trying to turn the second delivery of the innings and was gone for a duck. He then stunned the boisterous Wankhede Stadium crowd and indeed all of India, moving the first delivery of his fourth over away from a good length. Sachin Tendulkar tried to square-drive, only to get a thickish edge for Sangakkara to fling himself and cling on to the huge prize. Suddenly, India were 31 for two with doubts creeping into the minds of millions of fans. Gradually they extricated themselves from the tangle, built up momentum and brought up victory with a flourish. Young Virat Kohli recalled, “I was afraid of facing Lasith Malinga’s yorker. Already I was nervous. But after two or three balls balls, I settled down.” Sri Lanka were worthy runners-up again, and Malinga finished with two for 42 in 9 overs.
The little powerhouse had played his role, bagging 13 wickets on pitches that were unkind to pacemen for the most part. Once again he had a top-class average of 20.14.
Hosts New Zealand ran away with the opening encounter in 2015, hitting up 331 for six. Malinga had one of his worst outings, being wicketless while conceding 84 runs in his 10 overs. Sri Lanka packed up for 233.
There was an easier face-off next, but the spirited Afghans stretched the Lankans. Malinga was close to his best, though not initially. As Afghanistan built up their innings, Malinga ran through the lower order. He went past Mohammad Nab’s swinging willow, to strike the timber behind. He had Mirwais Ashraf edging into the hands of long-leg. Finally, he grabbed the last wicket, having Afsar Zazai snapped up at slip. Malinga returned with a bag of three for 41 in 9.4 overs as Afghanistan totalled 232. Sri Lanka had to dig deep to pull off a four-wicket win.
As the top three Sri Lankan batsmen began their run-spree in the tournament, Sri Lanka hoisted 332 for one off the Bangla attack. Malinga stunned them immediately, bringing the second delivery in sharply to Tamim Iqbal, and whizzing between bat and pad to rock his furniture. As the middle-order tried to put up a semblance of a fight, Malinga bowled a nasty short one, taking Sabbir Rahman’s glove and flying into the bigger gloves of wicketkeeper Sangakkara. His inexorable yorker slipped under the bat of the bemused last man Taskin Ahmed as Bangladesh folded up for 240. Malinga finished with three for 35 off 9 overs.
England logged up 309 for six, Malinga taking his lone wicket of James Taylor, having him caught at point, conceding 63 runs in his 10 overs. Sri Lanka heaped humiliation with a nine-wicket triumph.
Malinga caused an early setback to Australia, David Warner mistiming a slower one into the hands of cover. He returned to castle Michael Clarke, finishing with two for 59. Australia hoisted 376 for nine. Sri Lanka put up a game fight but could advance only till 312.
Scotland were easy prey. Sri Lanka hammered 363 for nine. Off the second delivery, Kyle Coetzer looped a simple catch back to Malinga. Later in the innings he had Rob Taylor holing out to mid-on. His two wickets cost him 29 runs in 9 overs.
The quarter-final was a one-sided event with Sri Lanka collapsing to 133 all out. South Africa sauntered to a nine-wicket win, Malinga getting the lone wicket of Hashim Amla.
Though Malinga picked up wickets regularly, it was least productive of his four World Cup stints. His 12 wickets in 7 matches cost 29.50 each at an economy-rate of 5.56. It was the only World Cup in which he did not bag at least a four-wicket haul.
Sri Lanka were not the same force in 2019, mainly due to the retirement of the stalwarts Jayawardene, Sangakkara and Dilshan. They were skittled out for 136 in the opening face-off with New Zealand. Malinga battled on but the Kiwis brought up a facile ten-wicket victory.
Restricted to 201 by the Afghans, Malinga had Mohammad Shahzad caught at mid-wicket to trigger a slide. He came back to terminate the innings, yorking Dawlat Zadran and Hamid Hassan. Afghanistan folded up for 152, Malinga returning with three for 39 in 6.4 overs. The fixtures with Pakistan and Bangladesh were washed out.
As the Australians went about buildings their innings, Malinga castled Steve Smith who was associated in a huge 173-run third-wicket partnership with Aaron Finch. The lone wicket cost 61 runs in his 10 overs in a total of 334 for seven. Sri Lanka were only able to score 247.
It was Malinga of yore in the encounter with the favourites England. Sri Lanka put up 232 for nine. A Malinga special trapped Jonny Bairstow leg-before off the second delivery of the innings for a duck. Soon he had the other opener James Vince taken at slip. Joe Root was battling through but Malinga had him caught behind down the leg-side. Not much later, his typically full delivery trapped Jos Buttler leg-before. The lower order could not provide much resistance, and England were bowled out for 212. Malinga bagged a rich harvest of four for 43 off his 10 overs. It was a special victory for Sri Lanka. Malinga was man-of-the-match for breaking the English back, as he captured his 50th World Cup wicket, the quickest to do so.
The Proteas were too much of a handful. Sri Lanka were able to post only 203. Malinga’s in-swinging yorker crashed into the stumps of Quinton de Kock. That was the only breakthrough that the Lankans were able to make. South Africa sailed to a nine-wicket win. The solitary wicket cost Malinga 47 runs in his 10 overs.
There was course correction when Sri Lanka came up against the West Indies. The batsmen logged up 338 for six. Malinga was back at his best. His short one took Sunil Ambris’ top-edge on the way to the wicketkeeper. Soon, Shai Hope played on to his slower one. West Indies were in trouble at 22 for two. Despite a fightback the West Indies fell short. Malinga returned towards end of the innings, pitching it up and trapping Oshane Thomas leg-before. West Indies finished at 315 for nine. Malinga bagged three for 55.
In their last league match, Sri Lanka posted 264 for seven. The Indian top-order took the game away. Malinga could only take one wicket for 82 as Sri Lanka bowed out of the tournament.
It was a fine effort by the veteran. Picking up 13 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 28.69 and strike-rate of 6.04, Malinga played a vital part in each of Sri Lanka’s three victories. Ever a threat with his full-pitched deliveries, mixed with the odd short one, he remained a talisman for Sri Lanka even at nearly 36 years of age.
With 56 wickets to his name, Malinga is third in the list of World Cup wicket-takers behind Glenn McGrath and his great compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan. His strike-rate of 24.8 and average of 22.87 are further evidence of his incisive bowling. This bundle of energy has been an invaluable asset for Sri Lanka. Sadly, injuries prevented the full blooming of his Test career but he carried on in the shorter formats, electrifying crowds around the world with his stunning strikes.
