The winning captain, Charith Asalanka, was overjoyed with the victory and even more so when he thought back on the positives that he had seen during the 50-over series. He thought about the first highlight, Sri Lanka’s victory in winning their first series against another country in 27 years.
After the second ODI, Sri Lanka had won, so there was a lot of hope, but the third game would determine whether or not they would hold their advantage. The island nation ultimately prevailed in an unprecedented series, winning the third One-Day International by a dominating 110-run margin. They won the series 2-0 because to this outstanding accomplishment, which was their first win against India in a bilateral series since 1997.
Furthermore, he expressed his gratitude for the outstanding efforts of his two main spinners, Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage, who took eight and seven wickets in two and three matches respectively.
“Being able to win a series against India after 27 years was the biggest plus. The spinners were another significant plus. We had counted on Wanindu Hasaranga, but Vandersay and Dunith have also been playing well here,” Asalanka said at the news conference following the game.
He also praised the ODI team for making a big change in the last two to three years, namely the top-order’s ability to create a strong foundation for the hitters that came after them. With this development, Asalanka was quite pleased, calling it a “clear indication of the team’s evolution.”
The biggest improvement I see in this team is the top-order, which produced excellent starts. We weren’t getting off to a strong start in our one-day cricket matches two or three years ago. As the fifth hitter, I was routinely hitting the 10-over mark. There is a basis now. That’s an indication of our development,” Asalanka said.
To allow our players to showcase their talent, we attempted to offer them a great deal of freedom: Charith Asalanka
Alongside temporary head coach Sanath Jayasuriya, Asalanka also discussed the team culture he worked to develop. He emphasised how they created a freeing atmosphere that allowed the players to give their best.
“We spoke with the coach and as a squad we attempted to establish a positive atmosphere. Our goal was to allow our players as much leeway as possible so they could showcase their skills. We don’t put them under a lot of stress. We list the benefits and drawbacks and support their strong points. It won’t be an issue if they don’t work. You can play against such a strong team if you have such support. We had some positives in our top-order in the T20 match that we lost. I knew as a captain that we could compete with the greatest if we played to our abilities,” Asalanka continued.
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Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the Lankans grow in the white-ball format as expectations are for their performance to gradually improve.
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