Player of the Series Asalanka gives thumbs up for NSL Tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Player of the Series in the recently concluded ODI series between Sri Lanka and West Indies, skipper Charith Asalanka, paid a fine tribute to the National Super League (NSL) Limited Over Tournament for helping him recapture his batting form and end up as his country’s leading run-getter in the series.

Asalanka topped Sri Lanka’s batting with two fifties, accumulating 145 runs (avg. 72.50) and helping his team win the first two ODIs that helped them clinch the three-match series 2-1.

It is not only in this series that Asalanka has been scoring runs but in the entire calendar year, where he is the third highest run-getter in ODIs with 552 runs (avg. 55.20) with one century and four fifties.

“I worked hard at my batting. If I have a problem, I check whether it is technical or mental. With the coaches, I rectify it as quickly as possible,” said Asalanka. “I was not in good form during the Indian series so I worked hard to score runs in the NSL (LO) Tournament. I got some good results from it. I must thank Sri Lanka Cricket for having a tournament like the NSL which has a good standard of cricket. Any cricketer can improve his level of cricket or recapture his form playing in this tournament.”

In the ODI series against India, which Sri Lanka won 2-0, Asalanka managed 49 runs in three innings (avg. 16.33) but found his form in the NSL Limited Over, leading Colombo to win the title by scoring the most runs by a batsman in the tournament – 504 runs (avg. 84.00) with three centuries that included a double hundred (206 against runner-up Jaffna).

Sri Lanka, having taken a winning 2-0 lead, lost the third and final ODI by eight wickets to West Indies in a rain-truncated match reduced to 23 overs a side.

Giving reasons for the defeat, Asalanka said: “The first setback was the weather. We played the first 17 overs like we do for a 50-over, after that we had a further six overs to bat. These things can happen but we have to accept it because it is part of the game. The credit must go to the West Indies’ two batsmen who batted extremely well. [Sherfane] Rutherford was consistent throughout the series, scoring 50s in each of the three ODIs. Other than that mistake, I think we performed well in this kind of situation to drag the game to the end, despite West Indies losing only two wickets. I see it as a plus point for us. In the future, we might face similar situations. We must try to minimise our mistakes and do what is good for us to win.”

Sri Lankan spinners who have been dominant in the series could make no impression on the batsmen with a wet ball, as West Indies chased down a revised target of 195 in 22 overs to win with an over to spare.

“If we had played out the 50 overs on this pitch, you could have expected it to take spin after it had been used and got dry,” said Asalanka. “We cannot control the weather, but as cricketers, we must know how to win from any situation. If this was a must-win game, we must know how to plan and win it. You can’t take advantage of the spinners because of the rain and the ball becomes wet. The ground staff did a great job to get the match started. I think they are the most hardworking and efficient ground staff in the world, but there are certain areas beyond their control, like drying out the grounds. With a wet ball, you cannot get the required spin. It happened to the West Indies in the first match. We have to accept the inevitable.”

Sri Lanka made a few changes to their side, resting some of the players to give those who didn’t have a game the opportunity.

“To have a player in the form of Nishan Madushka on the bench is a big plus point for us. Likewise, [Jeffrey] Vandersay and [Dunith] Wellalage were both on the bench today. That’s what the coach and I expect as a team. We have an adequate bowling attack; it has become a headache for the selectors and for me as captain to pick a team. We are in the process of making a system to give the players the required run, and a similar chance to another. That’s why we dropped Madushka and brought in [Pathum] Nissanka. Avishka [Fernando played well in the previous series so we had to give him the opportunity. Madushka, when he was given the opportunity, seized it with both hands. In the future we can expect big returns from him.”

Sherfane Rutherford, who was another contender for the Player of the Series with three consecutive fifties in the three ODIs, said that he has been working on his batting for some time and it was paying dividends now.

“I go with the coach to the nets before the start of a match just to feel and try to be ahead of the game. Just like what I am gonna get in the middle. It’s about finding ways of playing spin and then giving it your best shot. It’s very tough to start, but I give myself the best chance by batting a few balls in the nets before the game starts. It helps and it’s good for me. Spin played a big part in the series but it’s something for me to keep working on and hopefully get better at.”

It was Rutherford, in partnership with Player of the Match Evin Lewis, who carried West Indies to victory with an unbroken stand of 88 off 45 balls. Lewis, playing his first ODI since 2021, struck an unbeaten 102 off 61 balls to lead West Indies’ victory charge virtually on one leg after injuring his ankle. 

“Evin is one of West Indies’ best white-ball cricketers. He’s been out for a while. It’s good to see him come back and stamp his authority. I’ve worked with him for a while and I know what he can do. I am not surprised. Hopefully, he will continue to do good things for the West Indies and for himself,” said Rutherford.