India will have to manage Bumrah well for World Cup and Tests: Chaminda Vaas

 

Debasis Sen, Colombo

 Legendary Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas was notably absent from the annual awards ceremony organised by Sri Lanka Cricket held in Colombo recently. He is currently not associated with the cricket board in any official capacity. Vaas was part of the Kandy Royals coaching setup during the sixth season of the Lanka Premier League.

Widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s finest fast bowlers, the 52-year-old claimed 355 wickets in 111 Tests and 400 in 322 ODIs during an illustrious international career. He now spends much of his time at the Colombo Colts Cricket Club, where he also serves as vice-president. The former Sri Lankan pacer took some time out after his gym session at the CCC grounds to speak with Revsportz about the upcoming two match Test series involving India, absence of Jasprit Bumrah, whether there will be reverse swing with Kookaburra ball, Shubman Gill’s importance, the current state of Sri Lankan cricket and more.

India are playing a Test series in Sri Lanka after nine years. What is your take on the upcoming series?

Chaminda Vaas: It’s going to be tough for both teams. They are playing against each other after nine years, so it’s going to be an interesting Test series for both sides.

 How big a setback will it be for India that Jasprit Bumrah is missing the Test series?

Chaminda Vaas: I think India has a well-balanced team, even though Bumrah is not playing. If you look at their team, they are very well-balanced. Especially because we are playing in Sri Lanka, with the first Test in Galle, I’m sure the wicket will be a different surface. Especially in Galle, we know that the wicket tends to favour spinners. That’s why India have brought four spinners. It’s going to be an interesting series.

 What do you make of Bumrah’s action, considering he has missed a few series due to injuries?

Chaminda Vaas: There is no doubt that he is the best in the world at the moment. He has been playing a lot of cricket. He has played T20s, 50-over cricket and the IPL. He has a unique action. The way he plays and bowls a lot of overs can tend to lead to injuries. But I think India will have a plan for the next 50-over World Cup. He will be a different bowler when it comes to Test cricket compared to One-Day cricket. But being a fast bowler, you need to have a proper recovery process and get back into the game gradually. There is no doubt that he is the best in the world at the moment when it comes to Test cricket.

 Mohammed Siraj has been a lion-hearted performer for India. What is your assessment?

Chaminda Vaas: Over the years, India has produced so many good fast bowlers. I think Siraj is also one of the best when it comes to bowling on subcontinental wickets. India have a powerhouse of fast bowlers. I’m sure they will do well in Sri Lanka.

 Talking about the conditions here in Sri Lanka, do you think there will be reverse swing on offer?

Chaminda Vaas: Especially on subcontinental wickets and surfaces, you get reverse swing. I’m sure both India and Sri Lanka will find reverse swing here.

 Galle has traditionally favoured spinners, but we have also seen fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Dale Steyn perform well. Will fast bowlers get something out of the Galle wicket?

Chaminda Vaas: Even though the wicket suits the spinners, I have seen so many fast bowlers taking wickets in Galle. It is all about line and length and perseverance. If you put the ball in the right areas, especially with the new ball and the breeze factor, you tend to get a lot of swing. If you can control the ball and bowl in the right areas, fast bowlers are able to take wickets. I have seen so many overseas fast bowlers come here and take plenty of wickets in Galle.

 What will be the key to success for fast bowlers in Galle?

Chaminda Vaas: You have to be patient and try to bowl in the right areas. Wherever you play, as a fast bowler, you need to bowl a good line and length. If you can control the new ball and bowl the right length, I think you can get wickets anywhere in the world.

 Do you believe reverse swing can come into effect early with the Kookaburra ball?

Chaminda Vaas: It takes time. The red Kookaburra, especially in Sri Lanka, will last for around 30 to 40 overs with the new ball. But after 30 to 40 overs, the ball will tend to reverse. Reverse swing is an art, but you need to know how to bowl it. Especially with the SG ball, the Indians know that after 15 or 17 overs, the ball can start reversing. The Sri Lankan bowlers also need to find a way to reverse the ball.

 Talking about reverse swing, who has been the best exponent of it?

Chaminda Vaas: I took a long time to learn it from the Pakistanis. But it’s an art. If you learn that art, you can get wickets with both the new and old ball. Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were the ones who started bowling reverse swing. Before that, there was Sarfaraz Nawaz. They learned the art of reverse swing from him. They were able to control the ball and make it swing both ways. That’s how I started learning it.

 Chaminda, What is your take on Shubman Gill as a batter and what has impressed you the most about his batting?

Chaminda Vaas: Shubman Gill has been performing really well. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal—I can name many. Even though Virat and Rohit are not there, India still have a powerhouse of talent. They have so many good, upcoming cricketers, eager to perform and waiting for their opportunities. I’m sure Shubman Gill will be the key, especially in the first Test in Galle. He has the temperament. Once he gets going, it is very difficult to get him out. I’ve seen him bat, and he is a brilliant player. He is the best I have seen in India over the last few years.

 What is ailing Sri Lankan cricket at the moment?

Chaminda Vaas: We have the talent, but we need to see where that talent goes. You need to take care of the players, get them to play good cricket and have the right people in the right places. Especially when it comes to Sri Lankan cricket, you need proper people in management who can do the right things for the upcoming players. We have just finished the LPL, and I have seen so many young cricketers coming through. But you need to take care of them, encourage them, give them exposure and experience, and get them to play against teams like India, Australia and England.

 How big a setback will it be for Sri Lanka if Kusal Mendis were to be ruled out from the series?

Chaminda Vaas: Kusal Mendis is a key player for Sri Lankan cricket. Unfortunately, he has been injured. But there are quite a few young cricketers coming through. One player, Anjana Bandara, has been playing really well for the A team and has scored a couple of centuries. Sadeera Samarawickrama has also played Test cricket. Those are two players they might look at. There are quite a few batters coming through as well. Players like Kamil Mishara performed excellently in the recent LPL.

Can you tell us about the emerging Sri Lankan pacers to keep an eye on?

Chaminda Vaas: We lack fast bowlers in this country, especially because of the wickets we have been playing on. Even in first-class cricket, the wickets have been prepared to favour spinners. As a fast bowler, you have to bend your back and bowl at least 140 kilometres per hour. I haven’t seen someone bowling at 140 in Sri Lanka for the last few years. That’s what we need to find. We need to look for fast bowlers who can bend their backs, especially when it comes to Test cricket, it doesn’t matter where you play, whether it is Sri Lanka or overseas. You need to have at least one bowler who can bowl at 140. Otherwise, you need to swing the ball and have good line and length.

 Finally, your prediction for the upcoming Test series?

Chaminda Vaas: It’s going to be a good contest. I think the best team will win. You can’t predict anything. Both teams have a good chance, but whoever plays better on the day, I’m sure either team can win.

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