The Duleep Mendis-led islanders beat Kapil Dev’s India 40 years ago on this day for their first Test match victory; future World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga boosted
Rival captains Duleep Mendis (left) and Kapil Dev at the toss before the second Sri Lanka vs India Test at the P Sara Oval in Colombo on September 6, 1985. PIC/MID-DAY ARCHIVES
Quiz question: Which Asian country achieved their first-ever Test match victory on the same ground they played their inaugural Test on? Answer: Sri Lanka.
On this day, 40 years ago, the islanders, led by Duleep Mendis, beat India by 149 runs to notch up their maiden Test win at Colombo’s P Sara Oval, their debut ground of 1982. The Sri Lankans got to their first win after 13 previous Tests, which included eight losses (four to New Zealand, two to Pakistan, one each to England and Australia).
It was not the best of times for India in Test cricket. They hadn’t won a Test since beating England at Mumbai in December 1984. The tour party in Sri Lanka for the three-match Test series was led by Kapil Dev, taking over from Sunil Gavaskar, who decided not to lead India after the World Championship of Cricket in Australia earlier in the year. In fact, India’s winless Test streak only ended in England the following year.
India flew to Sri Lanka, in accomplished writer Ayaz Memon’s words, on “wings of hope.” Memon, who covered the tour for mid-day and Sportsweek magazine, wrote: “Their [Sri Lanka’s] batting is quite strong, with Mendis, [Roy] Dias, [Sidath] Wettimuny, Amal Silva, [Ranjan] Madugalle and [Arjuna] Ranatunga, both exciting and experienced players. Their bowling does appear a little thin, based as it is on medium pace. But they are capable of springing a surprise or two.” Gavaskar batted in the middle-order while debutant Lalchand Rajput and K Srikkanth opened the innings in the first and second Test. When Gavaskar was asked by Sportsweek’s News Editor Javed Akhtar in a pre-tour interview as to whether he would open the innings on the Sri Lanka tour, the late journalist got a surprising reply: “I think you are asking this question to the wrong person. As far as I’m concerned, I will open doors, windows, shops, seminars and of course, bottles.”
The first Test was held at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where India were bowled out for 218 after winning the toss. Spearhead Ashantha de Mel sent back five Indian batsmen, while fellow seamers Rumesh Ratnayake and Saliya Ahangama accounted for two each. Gavaskar was run out for 51. Sri Lanka replied with 347, powered by 103 from Ranjan Madugalle and 111 by Ranatunga.
Rajput got a maiden half century in India’s second innings, and Vengsarkar ran out of partners for an imperious 98 not out. Set to score 123 for victory, the hosts ended the Test with 61-4. Victory would have been theirs, had it not been for a session lost on Day Five due to rain.
The second Test began in two days’ time. This time, the hosts won the toss and, unlike their opponents in the previous Test, thrived first up. Their batting heroes turned out to be century-making opener Amal Silva, one-drop Madugalle (54), Roy Dias (95) and Mendis (51). It was left-handed opener Silva’s second hundred in three Tests. The wicketkeeper lit up Lord’s the previous year with a century in Sri Lanka’s second innings at cricket’s then headquarters despite enduring cramps.
The three Sri Lankan medium pacers were at it again — this time Ratnayake bagging 4-76 as India folded up for 244. Young Aravinda de Silva (75) and Dias (60 not out) put on 132 for the third wicket as India were given a target of 348. After Kapil’s 78, the next best efforts from the Indians were 25 each by Srikkanth and Mohammed Azharuddin. Ratnayake got five, helping to bowl out India for 198.
Kapil believed India could win to get the series score line on even keel. After India ended Day Four at 16-0, the captain told Sportsworld magazine’s Mudar Patherya: “We are going to win this match, okay. You wait, come and see me tomorrow; then tell me.” Unfortunately for the visitors, their captain’s optimism didn’t eventuate in holding back the feisty Sri Lankans. A lunch time score of 63-3 got worse. Umpiring decisions that sent back Srikkanth (25) and Vengsarkar (0) were dubious, and the captain spoke about them as well as Sadanand Vishwanath’s — leg before to Ahangama for a duck. Kapil was the last man to depart, caught and bowled by a diving Ratnayake. “Their greatest day in sport,” wrote Patherya, pointing out that the hosts beat a side that had a cumulative experience of 367 Tests, as against Sri Lanka’s 86.
The third and final Test at Kandy was drawn, and hence Sri Lanka won their inaugural home series against India 1-0. For Ranatunga, who would lead Sri Lanka to their 1996 World Cup triumph 11 years later, this series was pivotal to his growth. In an interview to prominent Sri Lankan journalist Rex Clementine, Ranatunga revealed: “One of the most cherished moments of my career was getting the wicket of Sunil Gavaskar [in the second Test]. He was stumped. I’m told very rarely he was stumped in his career. He was one of my cricket heroes. It was a closely contested series, and at one point, I sledged him. I liked getting under the skin of the opponents. He wasn’t offended. In fact, at the end of the series, he took me to our board chairman Mr Gamini Dissanayake and told him, ‘Look after this boy. He’s going to change the fortunes of your cricket.’ ”
Gavaskar was right. And those Sri Lankans involved in that 1985-86 series against India will suffer no memory lapses about the September 6-11 win at their Oval.
mid-day’s Deputy Editor Clayton Murzellois a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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