Battle with Bangladesh and the weather :
Sri Lanka have more than a spirited Bangladesh side to contend with when they face them in the third and final One-Day International at the SSC grounds today having to deal with the fickle weather conditions currently experienced in the city which they have no control of.
Bangladesh already one-up cannot lose the series. They can either win the series or draw it. As for Sri Lanka they have to win today to share the series, a no-result like the second ODI at Dambulla is no good for Bangladesh will easily pocket the ODI series for the first time against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has all to play for today and cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha although it’s a new game said the confidence level of the team was very high.
“If you talk to the players, they’re disappointed about their performance. But it’s up to us to get up tomorrow morning, come here, and give everything. Whether we’re in a winning position or winning every game, the players will be focusing on their own job first,” said Gurusinha.
“Any cricket board doesn’t want to lose a series, especially at home. There is pressure and there will be criticism anyway. A few years ago everyone was criticizing Bangladesh and they have come up. We have to do that. We’ve got to cop it if we’re not performing. That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to go out there and give everything we have. Then if we lose the game then Bangladesh has played very good cricket. That’s what we’ll have to do tomorrow,” he said.
“I thought we played well in the second one when we batted – to get to 311. For our bad luck it rained – it would have been a good game. We have been training well. The confidence is very high. But they all know it’s a new game tomorrow. It’s SSC and the wicket looks a really good one. We’re expecting a great game tomorrow. The pressure is there. Whether we have won the series or not, the pressure is always there.”
Gurusinha who believes in consistency in team selections said that there was no change in the Lankan team for today’s game. “We still have the same 12. The eleven we played in the second ODI and Seekkuge Prasanna will be in the 12. We have our team meeting later today, so we’ll look at our options. But this wicket looks good, so there is no other changes,” said Gurusinha.
“There’s a little bit of grass on it, in the first hour and a half, the ball will move a bit. It’ll be a good batting track at the end of the day. If you’re prepared to play shots it will be good. I feel it’ll be a great game tomorrow, because SSC is a great wicket. That’s the reason we’re looking at going with the same 12 tomorrow,” he said. Gurusinha spent a large part of his 12-year first-class career at SSC whom he represented in the Premier tournament and knows the behavior of the pitch like the back of his hand.
Gurusinha pointed out that it was the lack of consistency that has placed Sri Lanka in this current position.
“It’s just a team that’s playing a good side and getting out to some bad shots. We do well in patches but the consistency is where the important part is and the patience as well. Bowling one good line and length and just being patient until the batsman makes mistakes – that’s about getting into that habit about winning and knowing how to win from difficult situations. That has to come, and it has to come quick,” said Gurusinha.
For today Danushka Gunathilaka and Upul Tharanga will continue to open till Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella recover from their injuries.
“Currently we’ve got Danushka and Tharanga, but we’ve got two other players coming in hopefully for the T20s we might get one more, which is Kusal Perera who was supposed to be in the squad and got injured – and then Dickwella,” said Gurusinha.
“Niroshan is out for about three weeks. He had a hit on his left thumb. Initially we thought he can play but then the X-rays showed us he has a fracture. Yesterday the surgeons here confirmed that as well. There’s no operation or anything, but he’ll be out for at least three weeks. We’re hoping he’ll play the latter part of the provincial one-day tournament. He’s a great player. Those are the names we’re looking forward to. “I feel our batting is strong and we can put a lot of pressure during selection. I’m very much looking forward to watching these guys, especially the top order batting. We can build a really good team. At the end of the day we’ll have to take 15 to England, and I think it will be a good challenge for us to pick that 15,” he said. Following the Bangladesh series Sri Lanka’s next international assignment will be the ICC Champions trophy in England in June.
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