Sri Lanka to make three changes today
Skipper Dasun Shanaka could effectively seek expertise from the two former skippers available on field
Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga will all return to the playing XI in the second game as Sri Lanka look to stay afloat in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
The second ODI will be played this morning at Hambantota, the venue for the three-match series.
In what was another disappointing day for the Sri Lankan batters, a top-order collapse saw the Dasun Shanaka-led side get restricted to a below par 268 runs which included 158 dot balls or no scoring shots.
Afghanistan chased down the target comfortably with 19 balls to spare and six wickets in hand, to place the hosts under pressure ahead of today’s second game.
Chameera, Theekshana and Hasaranga all sat out in the first game as Sri Lanka handed debuts to leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha and Matheesha Pathirana in anticipation of testing their bench strength to finalise the World Cup squad. However, the plans went awry as two debutants made little impression in helping Sri Lanka defend a below-par total.
The 20-year-old Pathirana, who was a star at the recently concluded IPL, helping Chennai Super Kings for their fifth title, could not translate his brilliant form in the shorter format to ODI cricket, conceding 66 runs off 8.5 overs. Accordingly, the team’s think-tank has decided to call up his CSK team-mate spinner Theekshana into the playing XI, while Hasaranga will replace Hemantha.
Hasaranga, a senior player in the side, hasn’t been in best form in recent months as he has struggled to take a single wicket in his last five ODI games. Chameera is returning to the side after a long injury lay-off and is expected to lead from the front to help Sr Lanka level the series ahead of the final game on Wednesday. He replaces Lahiru Kumara, who suffered a minor hamstring tightness during the series opener.
While the bowling has been strengthened, Sri Lanka will hope its misfiring seniors take more responsibility, as the former World Champions fine tune their team combination ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. Sri Lanka played out as many as 158 dot balls out of the 300 balls they faced in the match–a major worry in their quest to pile up scores in excess of 300 runs.
Batters Angelo Mathews (12), Dimuth Karunaratne (4), Dasun Shanaka (17) and Kusal Mendis (11) made little impact as Sri Lanka folded for 268 on Friday. Mendis, who has played 96 matches, has managed just one half-century during his last 10 innings, scoring 145 runs in total. Despite his consistent failure at No.3, the selectors have kept faith in him to live up to the early promise.
While Shanaka, too, has been disappointing, struggling to lead from the front, the team will hope the two former skippers, Mathews and Karunaratne, bring in all their experience to anchor the innings. Mathews has played three matches since returning to the side and has managed only scores of 18, 0 and 12.
It was Karunaratne’s first game in two years and the southpaw is likely to play through the series, as he is being looked at as opening partner to Pathum Nissanka during the qualifiers.
However, with wicket-keeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrema in the squad, Mathews’ place in the side is under pressure unless he makes a big impression with a match-winning knock in his next opportunity.
Friday’s defeat was Sri Lanka’s sixth straight in seven outings in 2023, with one washed-out game.
Sri Lanka is expected to fly out to Zimbabwe on June 9, nine days before the qualifying tournament begins on June 18.