Battered Sri Lanka looking to restore pride

By Madushka Balasuriya 

With Sunday’s 78-run loss to South Africa, Sri Lanka have now lost four of their last five home bilateral series, hardly the ideal build up to a World Cup less than a year away. But for Chandika Hathurusingha - a dressing room absence for this series following an ICC ban - there will have been enough in the team’s performances to be hopeful of turning a corner sooner rather than later.

Ahead of today’s fourth ODI against South Africa in Pallekele, having lost the five-match ODI series 3-0, the home side will know they have been thoroughly outclassed in the opening three games. Though with three games remaining - two ODIs and a solitary T20I - there is still more left to play for, as victory in those will definitely go some way towards reviving some of the feel good factor.

While the euphoria of the Test series win was a much needed panacea to a miserable couple of months both on and off field - one that has seen their coach and captain banned, and two of their most promising youngsters, Danushka Gunathilaka and Jeffrey Vandersay, suspended on disciplinary charges - the limited overs contests too have positives to take away, as hard as that may be to believe.

Thisara Perera, hitting the prime of his career, is proving to be a valuable cog in the Sri Lanka one-day machine; having brought a modicum of respectability to the score following a batting collapse in the first ODI, he once again proved his worth - this time with the ball - in the last game, where on a flat deck he accounted for three wickets.

Meanwhile, Dhananjaya De Silva - not selected for the opening two games - showed some more of the talent that had seen him break on to the Test scene against Australia two years ago, as he batted with consummate ease in the 3rd ODI against a bowling attack that had hitherto been unchallenged by the Lankan batsmen. Frustratingly for fans of De Silva, among the more technically accomplished batsmen in the Sri Lankan squad, he has been thus far unable to lock down a spot in the limited overs setup.

Elsewhere a middle order that boasts the solidity of Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, and - when available - Dinesh Chandimal, is complemented by the firepower of the likes of Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella. While waiting in the wings is forgotten recent hero Asela Gunaratne.

Unfortunately for followers of Sri Lanka Cricket, this fine collection of batting talent has thus far been unable to come together cohesively often enough to realise their true potential, a large part of which is down to added pressure placed on them by a largely toothless limited overs bowling attack.

Sri Lanka’s bowling attack in the 3rd ODI had a collective international ODI experience of 98 games, with Suranga Lakmal accounting for 78 of them, and proceeded to leak 363 runs. While, admittedly, injuries do paint an exaggerated picture of the state of affairs, the prevalence of such injuries means that even those set to return have limited match experience in a World Cup year.

It’s therefore clear that Hathurusingha has his work cut out for him, and he will hope that, against a South Africa side that is likely now - with the series wrapped up - to give some of their less heralded players a run out, his side will be able to put on a performance with more than one moving part.

The fourth ODI gets underway in Pallekele at 2.30 p.m. today.