Sri Lanka-India ODI review:
The main concern for Sri Lanka prior to the start of the five-match One-Day International series against India was whether they could gain automatic qualification to the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In that aspect they failed miserably. Sri Lanka needed to win at least two of the five matches but they fared so poorly that they were whitewashed 5-0 to suffer their first such humiliation on home soil. This is one of the many disappointing ‘firsts’ the team has achieved during the tenure of the current Sri Lanka Cricket administration.
The rot started with their first Test loss to Bangladesh and their failure to win a single series across all three formats against the same opposition. This was followed by a shocking 3-2 series loss to Zimbabwe in the ODI series and now comes the 5-0 ODI whitewash at the hands of India.
To say that the difference between the two sides was the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah who was named Man of the Series would be as getting closer to the truth. Bumrah who is only 23 years old has more or less taken on the mantle of one of the best one-day bowlers from Sri Lanka’s fast bowling legend Lasith Malinga. With Malinga now virtually in his sunset years as a most feared bowler in the one-day format Bumrah it seems has inherited that title with a performance worthy of his mentor from whom he has learnt a great deal while playing alongside him for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Bumrah’s captain Virat Kohli describing the bowler’s improvement over the past 18 months said, “He has really worked on his bowling a lot, especially his length ball has picked up more pace. That's very heartening to see because it never lets the batsmen get settled. It’s not only about yorkers and slower balls any more. He can bowl a good length ball and nick you off as well, which I think is the biggest improvement in his bowling.”
Bumrah was the standout bowler in the series with 15 wickets which was six wickets more than the next highest wicket-taker Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya with nine. He was at the Lankan batsmen all the time and never allowed any of them to settle down. Bumrah proved a useful weapon to his captain for whenever he was brought on to bowl he affected a breakthrough and he was really good at the death as well.
A lot of focus has been laid on Sri Lanka’s failure to cope with India but no one gives credit to how good the opposition was. India to say the least was too good for there were hardly any chinks in their armour and even if there were, it was minute compared to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka got off to a good start in only the first ODI when Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka posted 74 for the first wicket, but then they frittered away that advantage when the middle and late order failed to capitalize on it and they were bowled out for 216 in 43.2 overs. For Sri Lanka to have any chance of getting close to beating India they needed to post totals between 280 and 300 plus and this was never forthcoming in any of the matches with their best being 238 in the fifth ODI. In today’s context 300 plus is the par score for ODIs.
Even in the bowling with the exception of one brilliant bowling performance by spinner Akila Dananjaya that had the Indian batsmen foxed for a while, the failure of Malinga to fire proved decisive to their defeats. Dananjaya took a career best six wickets in the second ODI at Pallekele, but was quickly sorted out by the Indian batsmen who allowed him only a further three wickets for the rest of the series.
The main issue Sri Lanka had with their batting was the failure of any of their top order batsmen to go and make a big score after settling down. No batsmen made a hundred the highest score being Lahiru Thirimanne’s knock of 80 in his comeback match at Pallekele (3rd ODI) whereas there were five centuries for India with Kohli and Rohit Sharma leading the way with two apiece.
The return of Thirimanne to the national team is one of the few positives for Sri Lanka. After struggling to recapture his form for the best part of 18 months he has somewhat worked himself to be recalled to the side not by virtue of any outstanding performances but a lucky break to fill one-day captain Upul Tharanga’s place after he (Tharanga) was banned for two matches for slow over rate. Thirimanne seized the opportunity with both hands to score two fifties in the three matches he played.
Angelo Mathews was the only other Sri Lankan batsmen to score two half-centuries in the series. After giving up the burden of captaincy one thought Mathews would be free to make big contributions to the team but in that aspect he failed. The one good thing was that he has taken up to bowling again after injuries had reduced him to play only as a batsman.
Dinesh Chandimal could consider himself as one of the unluckiest cricketers. There was a hue and cry over his exclusion from the one-day side and when he finally made it to the team he broke his finger in the very first match he played and was ruled out for the rest of the series.
Despite the criticism the team has undergone for their wretched performance in the series it is only fair to say that they were never at full strength for any of the matches as injuries took a heavy toll from match to match. When such a thing happens it is a nightmare to plan out strategy against an opposition that is vastly superior in every aspect.
Fielding that highlighted past series became secondary here as there was a vast improvement in that area although the odd catches were dropped.
Sri Lanka await the outcome of the England-West Indies five-match ODI series in England to know whether they will gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup or they have to go through a qualifying round. West Indies need to win their one-off ODI against Ireland and at least four of the five ODIs against England to displace Sri Lanka from eighth position in the rankings. Only the top eight teams gain automatic qualification while for the other two slots the lower ranked teams have to go through a qualifying round.
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