A drunken man discovered an unclaimed space on the walkway as a large throng exited the Pallekele Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. He curled up and closed his eyes, satisfied as if he had just discovered a five-star hotel. Naturally, the local police disapproved of his lodging choice.
A short distance away, a group of youngsters transformed the streets into their performance space, engaging in lively singing, dancing, and banging on a nearby percussion instrument. In a well-lit automobile, a second group of boys drove past, joining in the music and contributing their voices to the chorus, becoming an impromptu joyful symphony.
These joyous spirits had just witnessed their favourite Sri Lankan team fall short against the visiting Indian team in a match that ultimately lacked the competitiveness they had hoped for.
Maybe they were just determined not to let cricket spoil their last Sunday in July, or maybe they had the guts to see their cherished sport as just a game.
The Sri Lankan men’s squad felt that some “big decisions” needed to be made in less than thirty hours after they attempted their post-World Cup T20 comeback. This urgency has mostly resulted from the middle-order’s persistent failures.
Due to the middle order’s incapacity to sustain momentum, the top order has let down explosive starts for the past two games in a matter of overscores.
The hosts bumbled miserably after dominating to 140 for 1 in 14 overs in the opening game. With a level track and some outfield wetness, they had set up a thrilling finish, needing 76 runs in the final six overs. However, Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi broke their momentum, making Riyan Parag’s part-time spin look unbeatable. It was probably a case of chance collapse, even on a friendly batting surface with little help from spin, if it hadn’t happened again the very next day.
On Sunday, Kusal Mendis stole the show as he batted first, but Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera stood their ground. Nissanka’s bright start came to an end, but Perera in particular continued to be aggressive. Upon rejoining the national squad, Perera displayed his peak performance, blunting Siraj’s pace and Bishnoi’s spin with a display of power and strokeplay that has historically destroyed the strongest of attacks.
After 15 overs, at 130 for 2, Sri Lanka seemed ready for a late charge. But after Hardik Pandya removed the two set hitters, they fell apart once more to spin. After Wanindu Hasaranga was bowled off by a googly off consecutive deliveries, Dasun Shanaka sliced one off of Ravi Bishnoi onto his stumps. The collapse of the middle order by the conclusion of the innings meant that Sri Lanka had to settle for a respectable 161 for 9.
Explaining whether or not India had picked up on Sri Lanka’s vulnerability to countering spin, Bishnoi could not suppress his laughter. “They play spin really well, but I don’t know what’s happening with them,” he replied. “They are crumbling in the middle of the innings. They had a reputation as a strong spin-batting unit, but I’m not sure what’s happened.”
Thilina Kandamby, the assistant coach for Sri Lanka, looked for a more realistic reason. “On these wickets, in the first overs when the ball is hard, it’s much easier to bat,” he stated. The ball becomes softer after 12 overs. For the past three or four games, our middle-order hasn’t been dependable, which isn’t an excuse. We require answers as there are difficulties.”
Since the T20 World Cup last month, the middle-order has been beset by problems. The much-needed comeback is still elusive, even after a season of the Lanka Premier League and the removal of veterans like Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva. The “tough decision” and “solution” they are seeking directly highlight their current captain, Charith Asalanka, who they had hoped would lead the way for their T20 revival along with their best T20 player, Wannu Hasaranga, and their former captain, Dasun Shanaka.
It appears to be a very challenging step in terms of the viability of changing staff or processes. Stranger choices, though, have been made.
The difficulty, according to Kandamby, is situational awareness rather than competence. The challenge at hand pertains to awareness. We’ve demonstrated that our players can play spin effectively. However, under certain circumstances, we need to use greater caution when making decisions and playing your strokes.
Finding batters to consistently fill the roles of No. 5, 6, and 7 in limited-overs cricket is not a problem that Sri Lanka has encountered in this series or during the World Cup. It’s a long-standing one that frequently undoes the positive work after a top-order firing.
Speaking from personal experience, Kandamby discussed the reasons behind Sri Lankan hitters’ struggles in those scenarios. Kandamby had appeared in 39 ODIs and 9 T20Is without leaving a lasting impact. As a former middle order hitter, I am aware of the pressure associated with those positions. Also, I had desired to move up the order. I was unable to bat there, though, due to the players in the top order. It is true that the more seasoned players must play lower on the list, but you also need to give them some breathing room to operate there for a while, even if they are not effective at first. That security was previously provided by us as well.
Even in the LPL, we may need to devise a strategy to encourage the more seasoned players to occupy such spots. However, nobody can be forced. You have to give the LPL a shot because there are plenty of local coaches there.”
He disputes that it is a problem with his skills. So what is lacking for the batters at that position? It’s easy to declare that we don’t have enough power, yet that statement is untrue. Based on our statistics for this season, we are tied with other clubs in terms of six-hitting efficiency. It’s still a six whether you knock it over the stadium or just beyond the boundary. The issues have, in my opinion, more to do with situational awareness and perseverance than with competence.”
Less than 100 kilometres away, the men’s squad had to make difficult choices and deal with uncertainty on a day when the women’s team of Sri Lanka celebrated what was maybe their greatest victory and the nation’s most well-known cricketer’s eyes filled with delight.
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Though the road ahead might seem uncertain now, the final notes of the spontaneous street concert that refused to end were also uncertain. While the team’s atmosphere was overtaken by helplessness and uncertainty, there was a lingering air of hope and togetherness in the streets, with the fans’ joyful spirit promising they were willing to wait for better days.
India
