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Angelo Mathews during a fielding session
Spinners Wanindu Hasaranga (left) and Maheesh Theekshana are expected to play a leading role for Sri Lanka
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
The Sri Lanka cricket team went to New Zealand with two objectives in mind to achieve – one, to qualify for a place in the ICC World Test Championship final, and two, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 fifty-over World Cup in India in October.
To enter the final of the WTC Sri Lanka were required to beat New Zealand 2-0, a feat which they have never achieved in New Zealand. Instead of a 2-0 series win in favour of Sri Lanka, the result was just the opposite with Sri Lanka being whitewashed 2-0.
On the one hand the blame for losing the series cannot be placed squarely on the players. They have had no Test cricket for eight months (the last series before New Zealand took place in June), and to ask them to come and play five-day Test cricket is asking a lot from any Test playing nation. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka despite the handicap performed creditably to come within touching distance of pulling off a win in the first Test at Christchurch. The second Test at Wellington was lost due to poor bowling which allowed New Zealand to get to a formidable score in excess of 500. From there onwards Sri Lanka were on the back foot and failed to win a single session of the Test. What proved to be a hindrance to the Lankan bowlers was the blustery conditions with wind speeds averaging 60kph experienced during the Test. Our bowlers struggled to adjust and as a result bowled plenty of juicy half volleys and full tosses that were gladly accepted and put away for runs by Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls, both of whom helped themselves to a double century apiece.
That only one batsman scored a century and that four others made half-centuries and failed to convert them into big hundreds is the result of not playing Test cricket for a long period of time. The same can be said of the bowlers who acquainted themselves well in the first Test, but lost direction in the second. Test cricket is not like white ball cricket where the number of overs bowled and the length of batting for each side is restricted, but demands a heavy workload over five days.
Having failed in their attempt to qualify for a place in the WTC final, Sri Lanka will begin their second quest today when they confront New Zealand in three ODIs, where they have to win 3-0 to gain automatic qualification. It is a different challenge for our cricketers but nevertheless a demanding one as they have beaten New Zealand in New Zealand in an ODI series only once by a 4-1 margin in 2001.
With the 2023 World Cup around the corner and New Zealand having gained direct qualification for it, they have allowed at least seven of their ODI cricketers to play in the IPL which has more or less reduced the strength of their team named for the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting at Auckland today. With players in the calibre of Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson and Finn Allen unavailable, this is Sri Lanka’s best chance to beat New Zealand and try to gain direct entry into World Cup 2023 rather than going through the fickleness of the Qualifier. Unlike in the Tests Sri Lanka’s white ball cricketers have no excuse if they fail to beat New Zealand and win the series as they have been constantly playing ODI and T20I matches.
Sri Lanka’s white ball captain Dasun Shanaka is confident that he has the team to win the series 3-0. “It’s possible and it depends on the day. New Zealand is a good side and we are not taking anything for granted. We have to do the hard work to win the series. We have no pressure at all but as a Test playing nation we should qualify for the ODI World Cup which is our main target.”
“It’s an important tour for us and we are well prepared and looking forward to the series. The return of Angelo Mathews will be of immense help to the youngsters. We can share his experience he’s had on past tours to New Zealand,” said Shanaka. “We have two fine spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. They have played outstanding cricket in the recent past. We are looking forward for them to come good on this tour. At the same time we have to understand that tracks in New Zealand don’t offer much turn. So it’s a good challenge. We are sticking to the same combination we played in the last series against India. The players who played there have come here.”
The West Indies currently occupy the vital eighth and final spot with 88 points, but they have completed all their ODI matches of the World Cup Super League. Sri Lanka is currently placed tenth with 77 points and a 3-0 win will ensure they gain automatic qualification as their points tally will boost to 107 points.
South Africa are in ninth place with 78 points and they play their final series of matches against Netherlands on 31 March and 2 April. To achieve this they have held their best players from going to the IPL for three days. The results will only see South Africa through to the World Cup if Sri Lanka lose at least two of their three matches to New Zealand and Ireland, the third contender lose at least one against Bangladesh in a three-match series in May.
