Sri Lanka vs India 2017: Five talking points from the Test series

#4 Sri Lanka's endless captaincy woes

Sri Lanka's bad form extends to their inconsistent leadership

Leadership is a choice, not a position: Stephen Covey

In the current Sri Lankan setup, leadership seems more of a burden than a privilege. Captains are stepping down, captains are getting injured and captains are confused.

Mathews stepped down after the Zimbabwe series and Chandimal was announced as the Test captain just a couple of weeks after being dropped from the ODI squad. Then Chandimal contracted pneumonia and was ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Suddenly, Rangana Herath was the new Test captain. Chandimal's maiden Test as a skipper came in the second game of the series, while Herath was ruled out of the third match courtesy back pain.

Phew.

It is a wonder they knew who to send to the middle for the toss every time, isn't it?

A ship that doesn't have a steady captain can't ever dream of sailing steadily. Herath and Chandimal could not shoulder the additional responsibility. They failed to deliver tactically as well as emotionally, and could not inspire their men to punch above their weight. The side crumpled under the inconsistent, putrid and at times, tardy leadership.