Sri Lanka spinners Maheesh Theekshana (bowling) and Praveen Jayawickrama at practice yesterday

• Decisive third and final ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium today
• Says the side that has the ability to control the game with spin will win

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka’s Head Coach Mickey Arthur was of the view that the side that has the ability to control the game with their spinners will have the better chance of winning today’s decisive third and final ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Both Sri Lanka and South Africa go into this crucial contest with each team having won a game apiece – Sri Lanka the first ODI by 14 runs and South Africa the second by 67 runs (D/L method).

“For me the key is a spinner really standing for us tomorrow (Tuesday) and really taking the game by the scruff of the neck,” said Arthur at the pre-match virtual press conference yesterday. 

“First, we need to strike in the power play, we saw South Africa do that in the second game and have us three down very quickly, that’s going to be the defining factor. It will fall on Dushmantha (Chameera) and somebody else to do that for us. Wickets are always something that we strive for because it stops the rate.  We need to put them under some sort of pressure. The team that does that best is the team that’s going to come out on top.”

Arthur said that where the spinners have erred is by trying to do too much and by not sticking to their basics.

“Any emerging team has got to be ruthless on the basics whether you are batting, bowling or fielding. We went away from that as a team the other night for some reason. Akila (Dananjaya) is trying too many different things. He is not the only one, a lot of our bowlers and a lot of our batsmen tried too many different things when they were under pressure instead of going back to their roots, and their core basics which has worked for them,” said Arthur.

“It doesn’t surprise me that South Africa has played our spinners very well. I’ve coached Mark Boucher and I know he was big on the sweep, and that’s how he played his game. So, we knew South Africa are going to come in and sweep, whether it’s a conventional sweep, a lap sweep or reverse sweep, the guys have played it really well. 

“What we need tomorrow is to adapt to that. I don’t think we changed our lengths enough. We talked about bowling our stock ball more and we went away from those basics because the South African batsmen had put some pressure on us by sweeping. For us now, we have to be able to navigate our lengths and mix it up a little more, but not lose the fact that you are bowling your best ball. We used our variations just a little bit too much because South Africa has played well against us and they used the sweep to good effect,” he said.

Arthur said the wickets at the R. Premadasa Stadium have not been very helpful to the spinners as it was during the series against India and he hoped to see some grip and turn in today’s game.

“The wickets haven’t gripped and turned as much as we were hoping for but I think tomorrow they will grip and turn a little bit and if we can create some doubt that’s all we have been wanting,” said Arthur. 

“We haven’t looked to create that doubt because it hasn’t gripped and turned as much as it did in the Indian series. I am hoping that we can do that tomorrow and then we’ve got plans to make them score in different areas. If we can do that, we might create that mistake which will ultimately lead to that wicket for us.”

“They picked up their ones and twos easily which didn’t put them as batsmen under any sort of pressure for an extended period of time. We know pressure gives us wickets. It is something we spoke about. We tried to set up an attacking bowling line up but obviously with the wicket not gripping and not turning enough they had to go into an almost defensive mode. We will try and take wickets because taking wickets for us is the best way of stopping the run rate. Our intention has always been to attack with our spinners.”

Arthur spoke of making one or two changes for today’s contest.

“Spinner Maheesh Theekshana has a definite chance of playing because he offers us something different and possibly, Dinesh Chandimal. There is a position at the top of the order where we always had our wicket-keeper and that position belongs to Kusal Perera. We need to find a guy who can come in and score big runs in that position as well as keep wickets, so there is a chance.” 

Minod Bhanuka has been opening and keeping wickets in the first two ODIs.

South Africa’s one drop batsman Reeza Hendricks said it’s the mindset of the players that will decide the outcome of the match. 

“Even the first game we played well but we came up short, but in saying that it was a really good team performance. The guys have been contributing. I think it’s just the mindset going into the third game. We obviously love to play our best game there and come out on top,” said Hendricks.

“Coming to the subcontinent, Sri Lanka is known for their slow bowlers and spin bowlers. We were well aware of that ahead of the tour. We did quite a bit of work behind the scenes facing spin, we had a camp where the conditions were very slow and spinning. Coming here the focus point obviously was to play and how we face spin. Fortunately, it is paying off at the moment. The guys have been adapting well and playing spin nicely, I hope it will continue.” 

Arthur keen to have Kusal Perera back