Sri Lanka beat West Indies to take winning 2-0 lead in series

Sri Lanka Captain Charith Asalanka scored his second consecutive 50 of the series

Shane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie put on a record 119 runs for the ninth wicket

Wanindu Hasaranga on his way to a four-wicket haul

Maheesh Theekshana celebrates a wicket

Asitha Fernando is congratulated by teammates after dismissing Brandon King

• Continue amazing home run with nine series wins out of 10

Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting 

from Pallekele

Sri Lanka not only beat West Indies by five wickets to take a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday, but extended their home run in bilateral series across all three formats at home for the calendar year to nine series wins out of 10.

Their only blemish was losing 3-0 to India in the T20I series; otherwise, they have been unbeatable at home, winning against Afghanistan and New Zealand in Tests, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, India, and West Indies in ODIs, and Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and West Indies in T20Is.

Yesterday’s victory over the West Indies was an extension of their dominance on home soil. In a rain delayed match reduced to 43 overs, Sri Lanka bowled West Indies out for 189 in 36 overs, and knocked the runs off, scoring 190-5 with 34 balls to spare.

Sri Lanka lost a couple of early wickets in the chase to be 25-2, as Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis failed to get going, but Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama stitched together a partnership of 62 off 65 balls, with each of them contributing 38.

Following their dismissals, Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage (24) added a further 55 off 65 balls to edge Sri Lanka closer to the target. Asalanka made sure there were no further hiccups by completing his second successive half-century of the series to remain undefeated on 62 off 61 balls (7 fours, 1 six) when victory was achieved. 

West Indies tried hard but their bowlers were once again handicapped by a wet ball because of the dew that had settled on the ground. It was one of the reasons for Sri Lanka to win the toss and insert them in first, despite the fact that they were playing on the same pitch used for the first ODI. Under normal circumstances, Sri Lanka would have preferred batting first, but that was not the case yesterday.

A 119-run partnership for the ninth wicket, the highest for West Indies in ODIs and the fourth best in Men’s ODIs, between Shane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie saved West Indies the blushes after they were down in the dumps at 58-8.

Spin twins Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, ably assisted by seamer Asitha Fernando, played havoc with the West Indies batting, reducing them to 56-8 in the 16th over, before Motie came out with all guns blazing and, with a calm and collected Rutherford, resurrected the West Indies innings, bringing the total to some respectability as they eventually finished on 189.

Rutherford made full use of two dropped chances at 23 and 72 to score a superb 80 off 82 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) before holing out to deep square leg to give Asitha Fernando his third wicket of the innings. The Lankan seamer had earlier removed two key batsmen, Brandon King (16) and Shai Hope (5).

West Indies struggled to get going on the same pitch the first ODI was played in as Theekshana and Fernando picked up early wickets before Hasaranga also joined the party, getting the wicket of Roston Chase with a googly and Romario Shepherd in the same over. West Indies lost four for 34 in the first powerplay, and just as they looked doomed, Rutherford and Motie mounted a counterattack to produce their highest ninth wicket stand, beating the 85 by Alzari Joseph and Yannick Cariah against New Zealand at Bridgetown in 2022.

Using his power and the short-arm jabs to good effect, Rutherford brought up his second consecutive half-century of the series off 57 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) and looked good for a century that rain denied him in the first ODI when he finished on 74*. But it was not to be his day. Motie went on to complete his maiden ODI 50 (61 balls, 6 fours) before the innings was ended by Hasaranga who finished with four wickets.

Theekshana was named Player of the Match. The third and final ODI will be played at the same venue on Saturday.