Lankan bowling needs tightening up ahead of Super 4’s

 Rival captains Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) and Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka)

• Takes on Bangladesh today

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka are one win away from becoming the team with the second-longest winning streak in ODI cricket when they take on Bangladesh in their first Super 4s game of the Asia Cup at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium today at 3.00 p.m.

Sri Lanka are currently tied with Pakistan (2007-08) and South Africa (2016-17) with 12 wins each, and a win against Bangladesh will make them second best only to Australia who have the longest streak – 21.

But such thoughts should be far from their minds as they have serious bowling issues to address after their final Group B match against Afghanistan which they won by the skin of their teeth by two runs. Sri Lanka should consider themselves lucky to be playing in the Super 4s, thanks to a lack of awareness on the part of the Afghanistan management and support staff.

To allow Afghanistan to nearly chase down a total of 292 in just 37.1 overs simply tells just how weak the Lankan bowling line up is especially on a flat track like they got at Lahore. True, they are without some of their key bowlers Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka because of injuries, but if Afghanistan can score at that pace against the present bowling attack, Sri Lanka will have great difficulty trying to retain the Asia Cup when they come up against strong sides like Pakistan and India in the Super 4s.

The pitches at R. Premadasa Stadium may not be flat tracks as they have proved to be in the recently concluded LPL matches, but slow turners, which may suit the Sri Lankan bowling, but still for all they need to tighten things up.

Today’s game against Bangladesh will give a hint to which way Sri Lanka is heading in the Asia Cup. They simply outplayed Bangladesh in the group game at Pallekele, but Bangladesh bounced back against Afghanistan to post a big win only to be run over by a powerful Pakistan bowling unit in their first Super 4 game at Lahore.

Bangladesh’s unstable batting is something that Sri Lanka can capitalise on with their limited bowling resources if there is some help from the pitch. The Tigers have in their midst two former Sri Lankan cricketers in their coaching staff head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who know Sri Lankan conditions very well. Knowing the conditions is one thing but putting it into practice is another. How well Bangladesh can use the knowledge of these two men remains to be seen.

Unlike Bangladesh, Sri Lanka don’t have any problems with their batting but their middle and late order has to fire especially Dhananjaya de Silva and skipper Dasun Shanaka, both of whom played rather uncharacteristic strokes to throw their wickets away against Afghanistan which put the side under tremendous pressure to get to a decent total.

Despite leading Sri Lanka to 12 wins in a row, Shanaka’s form with the bat is rather outlandish. He averages 7.71 in eight innings with a top score of 23. One can argue that Shanaka bats down the order and has little or no time to make a noteworthy contribution, but six months before the winning streak started, Shanaka averaged 33.80 with 169 runs (including a century) which was only second to Pathum Nissanka 176. So the argument does not hold water. 

For both teams this game is important more so Bangladesh who have already played one game in the Super 4s and lost and need to get points on the board.