Sri Lanka, in recent times, might seem like a team that’s down and out. So the ruthless hammering they suffered in the home Test series against India suggests, at least. In the last couple of years, their reputation as one of the Asian Giants in World Cricket has been tarnished. Their performance graph has been on the descent and they are following the same lines West Indies and Zimbabwe did years back.
In Tests, Sri Lanka seems to be incapable of dealing with quality sides like India. They have lost a high percentage of Test matches post the 2015 World Cup, 15 out of 27 to be precise. That amounts to a high loss percentage of 55.55, which is a pretty dismal figure in Tests. The retirement of legends like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tilakeratne Dilshan and injury to their ace bowler Lasith Malinga has hurt them badly. They had quite a bad outing in the World T20 2016 and also in the Champions Trophy 2017. The reason is the inexperience of the side and the absence of senior players to lead them. Angelo Mathews has been there but he has been rather in and out with injuries. The same is true of Lasith Malinga.
But, the side has enough firepower to surprise even the best teams in the limited-overs format. The best instance of that was seen in The Champions Trophy 2017 group stage when they beat India in a high-scoring match. The 3-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will kick off on Sunday. Despite their poor performances in Tests of late, there are many reasons why India should not take Sri Lanka lightly in ODIs.
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1. India Without Ashwin and Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja form an integral part of both India’s bowling and batting line-up. They are India’s main go-to-bowlers in times of crisis and also allow the top order batsmen to play freely as they provide the batting cushion down the order.
Both players have now been sent to play in county cricket in England in order to hone their bowling skills in overseas conditions. Without them, India will lack the experience and sharpness in the spin bowling department. Although there will be talented spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, Sri Lankan batsmen can play with a little bit more freedom in the duo’s absence.
2. Sri Lankan Bowlers More Effective in ODIs
The Sri Lankan bowlers were absolutely humiliated in the Test series. India raised two 600-plus totals in three matches and beat Sri Lanka by an innings in two of them. The bowlers could pose no threat whatsoever to the Indian batsmen. They looked like mere schoolboys bowling to international players. However, that won’t be the case in ODIs. A bowler has plenty of chances to sneak in a good spell. It is often the mistake of the batsmen that gifts the bowlers with wickets. The bowlers’ wicket-taking ability improves when it comes to bowling in limited-overs formats, and Sri Lanka stands to beneefit.
3. The Experience of Malinga and Mathews
Malinga and Mathews might not be the same players as they used to be. A series of injuries have thrown their careers a bit off track recently. However, their experience is still invaluable and will play a vital role in guiding the young players. Mathews has also stepped down from captaincy and he can play with a bit of more freedom now. Meanwhile, Malinga will also want to show that he can still inflict the same damage on the opposition as he used to at his peak.
4. The Return of Thisara Perera
Thisara Perera is one of Sri Lanka’s most experienced all-rounders in limited-overs formats. His ability to pick up wickets in the slog overs and big hitting prowess down the batting order gives Sri Lanka an edge as a team. A slump in form had seen him sitting on the fringes recently. However, injury to the first team players has opened the door to the Lankan side once again. He has a wealth of experience under his belt and will come in very handy in the absence of Asela Gunaratne.
5. Lankan Batsmen’s Technique More Suited to Limited-Overs Format
India may not have forgotten how Sri Lanka surprised them in the Champions Trophy. Despite posting a total of 300+ on the board, India lost the match by 7 wickets. The credit for that victory goes to batsmen like Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Angelo Mathews and Asela Gunaratne, who played some brisk innings to see their side home and pull off an upset. No matter how helpless a side they appear to be in Tests, they can turn out to be a real force to deal with in limited-overs format; especially for their batsmen.
6. The X-Factor in Lakshan Sandakan
Sandakan is probably Sri Lanka’s biggest spin bowling asset at present. The left arm chinaman bowler has continuously shown his ability to trouble the batsmen. He was exceptional in the Test series against Australia at home. Moreover, he proved his mettle in the last Test match against India also as he pulled off a five-wicket haul in that carnage. So far he has picked up 11 wickets in 9 ODIs and will be looking to add more to his tall in the series against India.
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