Sunday the 6th of April was a joyous day. There wouldn’t have been a single SriLankan in Dhaka who kept calm. There would have been noisy cheers, screams with overwhelmed happiness. That Sanga- Kohli hug was a moment of harmonization. Kohli after making the 77th score in a losing cause still managed to bear the defeat. It was true sportsmanship. A rare celebration particularly coming from an Indian!
Malinga jumps into the crowd. Mahela hugs Dilshan. Dilshan hugs Sangakkara. They finished it in style even when Kohli came up with some terrific batting. Mahela and Sangakkara deserved a better ending to their T20 stories. Rather it was Malinga’s day. Even a day where Chandi (Chandimal) was raised and gladdened. Chandimal humbly passed his captaincy. Malinga held it.
I cannot think of a bowler becoming a successful captain in a few nights. It requires a lot of craftsmanship. To SriLanka it did though. Malinga was once condemned by a letter –writer. He was criticized for his indecent looks. Malinda’s hair became a terrible issue in grounds. But I bet he receives more love from the international crowd. Later days he claimed the sexiest cricketer in the world. Need I say more? Those unruly ginger curls of Slinga did it.
Malinga knows his roots. His early cricket was at Hikka beaches . He played with coconut bats and rudimentary husks. Little matches that were fixed on the west coast were gradually uplifted. The stage was set for him at Darwin’s Marrara Oval and then Dambulla. They were the debuts of his Test Cricket and ODI’s. He broke the social barriers. Became one of those exciting “Yorker” throwers. He devised his own picture. Frankly, he can have any hairstyle he wishes therefore.
He is proud. And he is meant to be so. His hair speaks of a hidden “mane” within him. The stubborn golden streaks picture a lion on charge. Strong and aggressive. Even those deliveries he make. They trigger memories of an unusual slinging action. Truly symbolic.
We won the T20 Cup. It would have been strange. One would have even thought the selection committee was crazy to make Malinga the captain. The committee was confident.
There was nothing experimented. Neither did Malinga. Rotating bowlers was a challenge.He used Senanayake for Yuvraj, he used Herath to bewitch the batsmen, Mathew was out early. He executed his yokers to the fullest. None of the Indian batsmen scored over 30 runs. None.
Chandimal missed the last few games. Even then came into grounds with sheer joy. He was unadulterated. Held Sangakkara with much delight.Chandimal’s modesty was Malinga’s joy.
Malinga did his part. Ended it beautifully. Much to his momentary and victorious captaincy. That is his story.
Malinga was a lucky one.
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