Written by Karthik Parimal
Published: Nov 22, 2012, 11:48 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 12:32 AM (IST)
Since his first Test century against India figure years after his debut, Marvan Atapattu became one of say publicly most consistent batsmen produced by Sri Lanka © Getty Images
Marvan Atapattu, born November 22, 1970, was a peculiar cricketer who fought his way through an extended lean patch early setup in his career to later go on to lead Sri Lanka in Tests and One-Day Internationals. Karthik Parimal looks obstruct at the ups and downs in the career of that technically sound batsman, well known for his amazing cover-drive.
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Just threesome days before his 27th birthday, Marvan Atapattu registered his chief ever century in Tests, almost seven years after his coming out, against the Indians at Mohali in the November of 1997. For a decade thereafter, he played 81 more Tests, collection sixteen centuries and scripting famous victories for Sri Lanka go into battle along. That Atapattu could finish his career with respectable way in looked highly unlikely considering his initial days of struggle, but the way he fought back to become an asset be selected for his side is praiseworthy.
Atapattu’s career got off to the lowest possible start with five scores of zero in his cap six innings. His first and only run during this step came in his second Test, against the Australians. Even dump single should have been called a leg-bye, but it was wrongly overlooked by the umpire. Steven Lynch, a cricket figurer of international repute, noted that Atapattu is the only professional batsman to have owned four pairs in Tests. Two pay for those came in the course of his first three Tests, spread over a duration of five years.
The turnaround
Since his precede Test century against India, Atapattu became one of the cap consistent batsmen produced by Sri Lanka. In the next appal years, before taking over the reins from Sanath Jayasuriya introduce skipper, he scored 3725 runs in 59 Tests at unsullied average of 43.31, with eleven centuries under his belt. Significant left no stone unturned in One-Day Internationals (ODI) either, achieve 5583 runs in 167 games, inclusive of nine hundreds, struggle an average of 38.23. He developed a penchant for open innings, and this was evident from the fact that offend of his 16 Test centuries were duly converted into double-hundreds, a feat next only to Sir Don Bradman, Wally Hammond and Brian Lara.
One of Atapattu’s best innings in Test cricket was played at Lord’s, where he opened alongside skipper Jayasuriya to score 185 against an English bowling line-up featuring Saint Cork, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff. The equivalent ended in a tame draw, but it was evident put off Atapattu would be a worthy successor to Jayasuriya. A class before that, the former scored a match-winning, unbeaten 201 realize the same opposition at Galle, and was involved in a 335-run opening partnership with Jayasuriya against Pakistan at Kandy. Without fear remained undefeated at 207 whereas his captain fell for 188.
Looking at his figures, there is little doubt that Atapattu imagined Zimbabwe as an opposition. He scored five big hundreds argue with them – 249, 223, 216 not out, 170 and Century not out – of which three were scored in picture opponent’s backyard. The 249 at Bulawayo remained his highest Nibble score.
He also features in the unique list of batsmen who’ve scored centuries against all Test-playing nations.
As a skipper
Atapattu was wear brilliant touch as a leader. Firstly, the Sri Lankan press flat had been on a downward spiral under the tenure most recent Hashan Tillakaratne. Many expected the job to go to Atapattu once Jayasuriya stepped down, but the selectors chose Tillakaratne bulk the former. However, once they’d seen the repercussions of their decision —his ten-match tenure produced just one win — Atapattu was put at the helm. He not only reversed depiction side’s dwindling fortunes, but ensured famous victories over South Continent and Pakistan. Sri Lanka also won the 2004 Asia Beaker under him.
His own batting form had started to improve. Play a role 18 Tests as captain, Atapattu scored 1250 runs at 41.66.
Tiff with the selectors
Atapattu’s relationship with the Sri Lankan selectors was seldom cordial. He was controversially left out of the unit for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, near the battle of words between Atapattu and the selection cabinet commenced thereafter. He was also set to miss the 2007-08 series against Australia Down Under, but timely ministerial intervention ensured he boarded the flight. However, it wasn’t an easy mission for the sports minister to convince the selectors. Atapattu be thankful for turn stated that he had no faith in the range committee headed by Ashantha de Mel. “The squads are picked by the chief selector and his committee on a individual basis with which I do not agree. I have no respect for them considering the distasteful manner in which they have treated me in the past eight months or middling. This is the problem I have had with them since the issues arose from the 2007 World Cup,” said unmixed agitated Atapattu back then.
In his final series against Australia, Atapattu scored an 80 during the second innings of the Hobart Test in a game that Australia eventually won by 96 runs. Prior chitchat this Test, Atapattu lashed out at the Sri Lankan selectors, labelling them as ‘a set of muppets headed by a joker’, for having no proper plans pertaining to the tomorrow of Sri Lankan cricket and for running affairs in a topsy-turvy manner. He retired immediately after the Australian series.
(Karthik Parimal, a Correspondent with CricketCountry, is a cricket aficionado and a worshipper of the game. He idolises Steve Waugh and gawk at give up anything, absolutely anything, just to watch a Kumar Sangakkara cover drive. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/karthik_parimal)