Galle of big things!

Travis Head unfurls a slog sweep in the second Test against Sri Lanka recently. Pic/Getty Images

We used to play a game where you rated performance and the worst outcome was when all you gained was a solitary point for turning up.

That is exactly what Sri Lanka achieved; one point for turning up in each of the Galle Tests.

From the moment a belligerent Travis Head bullied the Sri Lankan new ball in the first Test, the home team quickly retreated into their shell like a threatened tortoise. The further both Tests progressed the more the skilfully superior Australian team forged ahead.

Danger of ‘Big Three'

The extremely one-sided nature of the Galle Tests is a powerful reminder of the danger a dominant ‘Big Three' could pose. If Australia, India and England are eventually the only teams with the financial wherewithal to support a viable first-class system then the gap between the haves and the have-nots in Test cricket will widen at an alarming rate.

There's also a danger if the proliferation of T20 games means cricket becomes purely a power game. If that were to become standard fare then not only would the artistic side of the game be diminished but also the delicate balance between bat and ball could be severely compromised.

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These are areas that should greatly concern a thoughtful cricket administrator. However such is their infatuation with the financial clout of the game that there's a serious danger that tunnel vision will prevail.

The Test debacles in Galle are also a sharp reminder that the ludicrous combination of improved bats and shorter boundaries can provide a captain with some unnecessary headaches. The growing insistence on attacking batting asks the question of a Test bowling attack - can you handle being plundered? Those that cleverly withstand the assault and fight back to claim wickets against batsmen willing to take a risk, are the strongest teams.

Australia, with its classy pace attack and skilful spinner has proven to be one of the better teams in the competition at weathering an assault.

The toughest task for a Test captain is capturing twenty wickets. Therefore having belief in the bowler and his ability to handle positive field placings is paramount to a captain's thinking.

SL were too defensive

This was not the case with Sri Lanka as the sight of defensive fielders proliferating in Galle was a reminder of how quickly a fielding side can be bullied into submission. Bowlers can't operate efficiently when the field is spread wide and placing a defensive fielder for bad bowling only fosters inaccuracy. Being a brave captain means you'll endure some pain on the journey. Nevertheless claiming a good batsman's wicket through thoughtful perseverance is preferable to facing daunting run chases after rarely challenging the opposition.The captivating battle between a skilful bowler and a talented batsman is one of the joys of Test cricket. There was no better contest than the battle between Shane Warne trying to outwit a positive Sachin Tendulkar. These captivating duels come about because the bowler thinks about wickets and a batsman's priority is runs. A captain soon discovers that dismissing a really good batsmen is the only way to contain their run scoring.

Another enthralling battle is that between a fleet-footed batsman and a skilful spinner relying on dip and curve to deceive an opponent.

Prasanna's wise words

I recall the fine Indian off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna - a master of dip and curve - telling Australian spinner Gavin Robertson in 1998; "Gavin, it's not an invitation to be hit into the grandstand. It's a bid to be lofted into the outfield."

These battles are worth the entrance money and it would be a pity if they are diminished in the search for containment.

The coaching and the balance between bat and ball needs to be reviewed, especially if spinners are encouraged to dart the ball into the pitch because of the danger of being deposited in the grandstand by a batsman wielding a lethal club.

Despite multiple changes to the game, a hard fought Test match can provide an enthralling duel between two evenly matched contestants. Test cricket doesn't need lopsided affairs like the matches in Galle.