Rangana Herath ended as one of the leading left-arm spin bowlers in the world after his career was overshadowed by the brilliance of Muttiah Muralitharan.
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During Sri Lanka’s golden years in the mid-90s till the first decade of the 21st century, they were boosted by the brilliance of Muttiah Muralitharan. His prowess made the inclusion of any other spinner almost next to impossible. Muralitharan’s 133 Tests yielded a massive 800 wickets with 67 five-wicket hauls and 22 10-wicket hauls. All of these records were key to Sri Lanka’s dominance. When he retired in 2010 after reaching 800 wickets, there was a massive void in Sri Lanka. In one stroke, the bowler who won them matches at the drop of a hat was gone.
The next question for fans was who would be the bowler who would fill the gigantic shoes of Muralitharan? They found one in the form of a bank clerk. He had not played proper full-time cricket. Yet, he was included in the 1999 Test squad against Australia. That series saw Sri Lanka win a Test and a series against the Aussies for the first time ever. He played only 14 Tests in nine years as Muralitharan’s ominous presence remained.
However, as a last-minute replacement, he came in and gave Sri Lanka an unlikely win. He had all his great moments at the Galle cricket club, from his debut till his match-winning haul and then ending his career there. As he turns 43, Rangana Herath managed to step up in Muralitharan’s absence and emerge as one of the greatest bowlers to have come out of Sri Lanka. Not only did he become Sri Lanka’s best, but he emerged as one of the greatest left-arm bowlers the world had ever seen.
Herath did not possess the guile and variety of Muralitharan. In fact, his action was very simple. What he relied on primarily was consistent accuracy. For a left-arm bowler, Herath’s variations were limited but he made it up with skill.
In Galle 2009 against Pakistan, it was his haul of 4/15 that allowed Sri Lanka to defend 167. His 34 wickets in 2009 were evident that he would be the next in line to take up Murali’s mantle. But, after two tough years in which he lacked penetration, Sri Lanka struggled.
However, from 2012 to 2017, Herath dominated the bowling charts. His haul of 60 wickets in 2012 was the highest ever. He took 50 or more wickets in a calendar year thrice. Herath took 56, 57 and 52 wickets in 2014, 2016 and 2017. His zenith of brilliance peaked in 2016 and especially in the series against Australia.
Herath is the only Sri Lankan to feature in all four of their country’s win against Australia. In 1999, he had taken a four-wicket haul on debut to give Sri Lanka their first win. 17 years later, his 28 wickets, including 13 in Colombo and a hat-trick, helped Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0.
In that five-year golden period, Herath became the third bowler after Dale Steyn and Muralitharan to take a five-wicket haul against all nine Test-playing nations at that time. His contribution in Sri Lanka’s first-ever Test win in South Africa in 2011 was huge, taking five wickets in the second innings in Durban to help the Sri Lankans perform better overseas. Herath ended his Test career with 433 wickets in 93 Tests, making him the leading left-arm bowler in the world after Wasim Akram.
Herath became the only bowler in history to take 100 wickets against them in Tests. No one will ever forget his tour-de-force performance of 9/127 in Colombo in 2014 as he became Pakistan’s nightmare.
It was not that Herath was simply a Test legend. The left-armer was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s win in the World T20 in 2014. His haul of 5/3 against New Zealand in Chhatogram was the spell for the ages.
With his retirement, Sri Lanka are once again struggling in the spin department. Muralitharan and Herath are two of the gems of world cricket. On his 43rd birthday, it is apt to pay a tribute to Ranga aiyya for his contributions to cricket.
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