Master Blaster lavishes praise on ‘Pocket Dynamite’
Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup campaign came to a dramatic end on Friday night as the tournament favourites, India, survived a mighty scare before claiming victory in a Super Over. At the heart of the contest was Pathum Nissanka, who produced a career-defining innings with his maiden T20 international century, scoring 107, that almost carried his side to a famous win.
Pathum Nissanka was brilliant with his hundred in that massive run-chase - praised coach Sanath Jayasuriya - AFP
It was a night of high drama and breathtaking cricket. India, batting first, posted 202 runs, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target in a must-win clash. The total looked formidable, but Nissanka’s fluent stroke play and Kusal Perera’s explosive half-century brought the contest alive. Their 127-run partnership kept Sri Lanka firmly in the hunt. When Perera fell in the 13th over, Sri Lanka were still ahead of the asking rate, but a collapse in the middle overs allowed India back into the game.
The decisive moment came in the final over. After reaching his maiden ton to huge applause, Nissanka fell on the first ball of the final over, leaving Sri Lanka needing 11 runs from five deliveries. With new batters at the crease, they could not finish the chase.
India held their nerve, forced a tie, and then sealed victory in the Super Over. Despite the heartbreak, head coach Sanath Jayasuriya lavished praise on his young opener.
“It was a brilliant innings to get that hundred. Unfortunately, he got out immediately after reaching the milestone, which was unlucky. But he batted exceptionally well throughout to take us to 202. Kusal (Perera) also batted superbly. When chasing 200-plus, you must keep finding boundaries, and both of them did that perfectly,” he said.
Nissanka’s century drew widespread acclaim from commentators and fans alike. His assured stroke play against India’s attack underlined his status as Sri Lanka’s most reliable batter in the tournament. Jayasuriya highlighted his adaptability, particularly against spin, as a cornerstone for the future. The coach also reserved praise for Perera, who battled through injury to play a fearless innings.
“Kusal gave 100 percent to the team. Both of them played unbelievable cricket, taking calculated risks, hitting sixes and boundaries when needed, and rotating the strike. That is a very encouraging sign for us,” he said.
Jayasuriya did not hide his frustration at the missed opportunities that cost Sri Lanka a place in the final. The defeat to Bangladesh in their opening Super Four game proved decisive.
“Bangladesh was the most disappointing match for me personally. We had 168 on the board, a winning score, but could not defend it. If we had won that, things might have been very different,” he admitted.
“Against Pakistan, we did not assess the conditions quickly enough, and by the time we realised, it was too late. Today, India started strongly, and although we batted well, we just fell short.”
The coach was blunt in his assessment. “Going forward, assessing conditions early is critical. As a coach, those missed opportunities hurt because we could have been in the final,” he added.
The disappointment of missing the final will linger, but Sri Lanka can take positives. Their batting unit has shown resilience after the low point of being bowled out for 80 against Zimbabwe earlier this month. Yet the Asia Cup exposed the fine margins that separate triumph from failure. Sri Lanka were undone not by a lack of talent but by costly lapses. Failure to defend a gettable total against Bangladesh, tactical misjudgment against Pakistan, and the cruel twist against India combined to derail their campaign.