For the last 18 months Sri Lanka’s major concern has been the sturdiness oftheir middle order

Wisden Cricinfo Staff17-Dec-2003For the last 18 months Sri Lanka’s major concern has been the sturdiness oftheir middle order. At last they seemed to have unearthed an answer:Tillakaratne Dilshan.© Getty ImagesDilshan’s arrival in Test cricket was as dramatic as his second coming,which started in the second test against England after 2 ½ years in thewilderness, as he compiled a magnificent 163 not out in his second matchback in 1999/2000 against Zimbabwe.The opposition may have been weak, and the pitch might have been placid, butDilshan so impressed the pundits that he was lauded, prematurely as itturned out, as a world-class talent.A wristy player blessed with Fred Astaire footwork, Dilshan looked thebusiness. He waltzed down the wicket to spinners and was comfortable againstthe quick bowlers too.But Dilshan was not the business and he failed to nail down a permanentspot. During his next eight tests he failed to pass fifty once. No onedoubted his talent; it was his temperament that was being called intoquestion.England’s 2001 tour of Sri Lanka showed the best and worst of Dilshan. InEngland’s two practice games, at P. Sara and Matara, he producing twodazzling centuries. The English media were in awe. But come the Tests heflopped.England sensed a character flaw and piled on the mental pressure. Dilshanlooked tentative and nervous, one tenth of the free-flowing player that hadhammered England’s bowlers in the warm up matches.After the series, the selectors made their judgement and Dilshan went out topasture. The road back was long and hard – 33 months to be exact. Eventuallythough, after performing well under pressure during a couple of ODIs, he washanded another chance.We expected him to be nervous but he showed no butterflies. In both innings,with Sri Lanka in trouble, seized back the initiative with a gloriouscounterattack. He scored 63 and 100, top scoring in both innings, but it wasthe verve he displayed scoring the runs rather than the quantity thatimpressed.© Getty Images”I was told to be positive,” revealed Dilshan. “I was told not to worryabout the loss of early wickets and urged to play my natural game. Thathelped me and benefited the team.”To be given free licence was a blessing for a man that was desperate to grabhis chance: “After being dropped I could not get into the side because ofSri Lanka’s nine-match run of Test wins. I had to seize my opportunity inthis game. I wanted to prove that I could play Test cricket. I was undersome pressure to score runs in this test and I hope that I have provedmyself now. I hope to continue.”Dilshan was particularly impressive against the spinners. Dancing down thepitch he disrupted their length and nullified their threat: “The ball thatthey tossed up was the one that turned so I used my feet and it started tobecome very difficult for them.”He looked less comfortable against the pace and extra bounce of AndrewFlintoff though, who targeted his chest area after dismissing Dilshan offglove in the first innings. Other fast bowlers will have taken note and hewill still need to prove himself against hostile quick bowling.But the time being, after such a long wait for a second chance, he shouldlap up the praise. It looks as if Dilshan as come back stronger with anow-or-never attitude – that’s fantastic news for Sri Lanka.