June.08 (Mirror Sports) - Gary Kirsten’s tenure as Sri Lanka head coach was off to a flying start when Kusal Mendis and Co. set up a comfortable victory over the West Indies in the opening ODI match last week. 

The second game on Sunday was unfortunately washed out without a ball being bowled. One of the main talking points so far in this relatively reshaped Sri Lankan team has been the decision to send Kamindu Mendis up the order to open the batting with Pathum Nissanka.

While Nissanka has established himself as Sri Lanka’s number one opening batsman in all forms, the island nation has always struggled to find him a consistent partner at the top.

The promotion of Kamindu Mendis, hence, comes as the first major switch under Kirsten. There has never been a doubt about Kamindu Mendis’ talent. He has scored runs down the middle order for Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket, but batting against the new ball is certainly going to test his technique. 

The left-hander is naturally a good stroke maker, but whether he will survive in conditions like these remains to be seen.

It could still be an absolute masterstroke if he finds some form at the top because that would mean Sri Lanka has an opener who could also contribute with the ball. This will enable Kirsten and Co. to balance the team very well. 

The former South African led India to one of its most memorable wins in 2011, where he was not afraid to make tough calls. One of the key standouts in his coaching was that he has mostly opted for five specialist bowlers, especially in the longer format, which is something Sri Lanka hasn’t done much over the last decade or so. 

During Sri Lanka’s golden era, they were always able to play seven batters with the help of TM Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, and Thisara Perera to make up that fifth bowling option. 

On the other hand, some believe that the cricket world may have seen the best of Kirsten. A bit like Jose Mourinho in football. However, this also provides Kirsten a great opportunity to once again become one of the best coaches in the world.