Just a few days after former India head coach Ravi Shastri opined that Test cricket should be limited to the world’s top six sides, Sri Lanka, ranked No.7, sprung a surprise. Pakistan, one rung higher in the ICC rankings, were dispatched comfortably, levelling the series 1-1. Except this wasn’t really a surprise at all. Babar Azam’s side had needed a massive chase to secure the first game, and their win came less than a fortnight after an innings win against Australia, the top-ranked side in the world, in another drawn series.

Perhaps for Test cricket to survive, its doors need to be kept ajar for more teams to play more regularly, rather than restricting their entry. There is room for more than six top sides in the world. But rather than discuss Shastri, let’s focus on Sri Lanka, a team ready to show once again that they belong.

That statement could not have been made a few years ago. From the start of 2018 till the 15 April last year, Sri Lanka had won only eight Tests out of 28, giving them a win/loss ratio of 0.615 – only higher than Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland. While they struggled against the higher-ranked sides, what was worse was that they registered draws against arguably weaker teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in this period as well.

In that time period, Sri Lanka won only four of the 13 Test series they played overall, going winless in three successive series at home. Though there were some memorable moments, like their away triumph in South Africa to make them the first Asia side to win in the country in 2019, they were far and few in between, and whitewashes against England at home (twice), Australia (away) and South Africa (away, in 2020/21) made it a dismal time to be a fan of Sri Lankan cricket.

However, things have taken a change for the better in the last 15 months, with Sri Lanka playing six series, winning three – two against Bangladesh and one against West Indies. They have lost only one series, against India, while drawing two others – against tougher and more consistent sides in Australia and Pakistan. In their last two series, Sri Lanka had lost the first game by relatively large margins, but instead of allowing it to dent their confidence, they bounced back stronger, defeating Australia by an innings, and then Pakistan by 246 runs, to settle for drawn series. They currently sit third in the World Test Championship table, and a run to the final, remarkably, can’t yet be entirely discounted.

The spin bowling resurgence

From 2018 till April 15 last year, Sri Lanka, overall, had the second-worst bowling average and strike rate among all Test teams, picking up 410 wickets at an average of 34.90 and a strike rate of 64.5. Only Zimbabwe fared worse on either count. Their economy rate of 3.24 further indicated how the bowling attack lacked sting. Their slower bowlers, traditionally their strength, fared worse, averaging 36.26.

This year, Sri Lanka’s spinners have picked up 80 wickets from eight games, the most in the world. Their strike rate of 66.1 is the third-best, and no other team’s slower bowlers have taken more five-fors this year (five). At home, their strike rate dips to 53.8, the presence of Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis opening up doors for their dominance. The quicks average a little over 29 this year, and the overall bowling depth has played a huge role in the turnaround.

Jayasuriya in particular deserves a special mention. Since making his debut in the second Test against Australia, he has claimed 29 wickets in three games, with four five-fors, a four-for and a three-for. At 30 years old, he has a wealth of first-class experience behind him, and if he can sustain his stellar start, Sri Lanka will be thrilled.

More support for Angelo Mathews

From 2018 to April 15 2021, only one Sri Lanka batter made more than 1,000 runs and averaged over 40 – Angelo Mathews, who averaged more than 40 in that time.

But since May last year, three batters from Sri Lanka have averaged over 45 with a minimum of 500 runs – Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Mathews. There have been a total of 37 50-plus scores in just 10 games from nine players, including eight centuries. A total of eight players have made 300 or more Test runs for Sri Lanka in the last 15 months, chipping in silently as the ‘Big Three’ of Chandimal, Karunaratne and Mathews anchor the innings.

The teamwork, both in the batting and bowling departments, is visible, and while the talent was always there, a more defined approach has allowed them to take steps towards a resurgence, even if the journey ahead is long and filled with deeper obstacles.

The Chris Silverwood factor

When Chris Silverwood lost his job as England head coach following an Ashes humiliation, there were few who rated his tenure in charge of his home country positively. Before Brendon McCullum took over, England had won just one Test in 17, with Silverwood, taking on a secondary role as selector, looking out of his depth.

But 18 months into his tenure, things were going swimmingly. England were 1-0 up in India after whitewashing Sri Lanka, and had won all three of their Test series in 2020, away in Sri Lanka and at home against West Indies and Pakistan. Silverwood, keen to show he had been written off too soon, jumped at the chance to take over Sri Lanka, and the results have been immediate.

A Test series win against Bangladesh, never to be underestimated, was just the start, with an ODI series win against Australia also a marker of progress before two drawn Test series against two strong sides. With simple mantras – bowlers are instructed to focus on their first 12 balls, and batters to build big first-innings runs – Silverwood has overseen a resurgence that might only be brief so far, but is also bright. Sri Lanka aren’t just a side with mere promise; they have proven they can also be giant killers on their day.