Crunch game for Sri Lanka today

• Takes on Afghanistan in third ODI at Pallekele

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Pathum Nissanka watches Dunith Wellalage taking a catch during a fielding session at Pallekele

Rahmanullah Gurbaz bats at the nets at Pallekele

It is not the first time the Dasun Shanaka led Sri Lanka team is facing a crunch situation. They have been in this kind of circumstances before, the most recent one being the T20 World Cup game against

Afghanistan at Brisbane which they had to win to keep their semi-final hopes alive. They managed to beat Afghanistan on that occasion but were knocked out when New Zealand and Australia won their respective final group matches.

Today at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka once again have Afghanistan as their opponents in a must-win game for them to keep their chances of gaining direct qualification to the 2024 World Cup alive. 

They trail Afghanistan 1-0 in the three-match series and a win will not only enable them to share the series one-all, but also gain 10 valuable points in the World Cup Super League. Rain dashed their hopes of beating Afghanistan and gaining full points in the second ODI played at the same venue on Sunday after a splendid display put on by their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dhananjaya de Silva, which is why Sri Lanka find themselves in a must-win situation today.

Sri Lanka went into the first two matches with an unchanged side and after the performance their spinners came up with the other night, it will be a tight call on whether they want to change the combination and opt for a left-arm spinner like Dunith Wellalage as the Afghanistan batting line up has plenty of right-handers.  With the recent rains around the pitch has remained for most parts under covers which has eventually killed some of the grass and made it rather dry. In the circumstances the spinners will certainly have a role to play. The weather has remained rather fickle but it kept away allowing a full practice session for the Lankans yesterday. One hopes it will remain that way today as well.

Pathum Nissanka, Sri Lanka’s in-form batsman said the team was very much aware of what was expected of them in this crucial game. 

“We are hoping to make a good comeback in the third ODI. As a team we are looking to win every time. This match is very important to us with regard to gaining automatic qualification for the ICC World Cup 2024.”

Nissanka is one of the few batsmen who has shown form in the series scoring a high quality 85 in the first ODI which proved in vain when he found no one willing to stay with him and build up a partnership that would have made chasing a target of 295 a distinct possibility as Sri Lanka had the run rate well under their control. They lost the match due to the regular loss of wickets.

Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s leading run-getter for the calendar year in both white ball formats scoring 456 runs (avg. 50.66) with one century and four fifties in ODIs, and 713 runs (avg. 31.00) with six fifties in T20Is.

“From the time I began my career and where I am today I am extremely happy,” said Nissanka speaking to the media ahead of today’s game. 

“I have a lot to learn from batting coach Naveed Nawaz. I speak to him when I am batting and he points out any mistakes I make. He has corrected a lot of them. It is easy to work with him. Fitness is also very important. A player must know individually how to manage himself. I do personal fitness work with the team’s trainer and it has helped me a lot.”

Nissanka has formed a great opening partnership with Kusal Mendis in the white ball format, and whenever they have been on song Sri Lanka has always won. “It is easy batting with him. He is a highly talented player. When I have a player of his calibre at the other end it makes my task easy.”

Sri Lanka will need them to give them a kick-start in today’s contest which is of vital importance to them as well as to the team’s future.

Of the two sides Afghanistan will be the happier lot as they have virtually gained automatic entry to the 2024 World Cup in India following the five points they gained from the rain affected second ODI against Sri Lanka. They will be keen to finish off the short tour on a high with a win which would give them the series 2-0 in the first bilateral meeting between the two sides in this format.