Sri Lanka players receive a pep talk from Head Coach Mickey Arthur ahead of practice at the R. Premadasa Stadium

• 3-match ODI series commence at R. Premadasa Stadium today

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

It will be a battle royale for spin supremacy in the three-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and South Africa commencing at the R. Premadasa Stadium under lights today.

Sri Lanka’s strength at home has been spin and they are bound to make the maximum use of it to outshine South Africa in the series. In fact, they have asked for the same type of pitches prepared for the series against India in July.

The series is important for both teams to advance in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points table with South Africa currently being placed 10th and Sri Lanka 11th with only two points separating the two.

Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain, was confident of his team performing well against the Proteas.

“I think we are in a winning mode. If we can get the majority of the wickets through our spinners, we will be able to win the series. The way I look at it, we are confident of winning,” said Shanaka at the pre-match press conference held via ‘Zoom’ yesterday.

Shanaka is also aware what a 3-0 series win would mean for his side. 

“If we win all 3 ODIs against South Africa we will come to no. 5 in the rankings. It will be a big plus point for us in the World Cup if we can do that. We are confident we can do it.” 

“We are hoping to play on similar tracks that we had prepared for the series against India. We know that South Africa has good fast bowlers but, in our conditions, it is not going to be helpful for them. We have a much stronger spin attack and we are better placed than them,” Shanaka said.

“We have a lot of spin options – Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Mahesh Theekshana, Ramesh Mendis and Praveen Jayawickrama – all of them are in good form. I am hoping to play at least three spinners along with six batsmen and two all-rounders.”

It’s not so much the bowlers, but the batting that has been Sri Lanka’s weakness in a string of ODI defeats in recent times, not being able to last the full quota of 50 overs and putting up challenging totals for their bowlers to defend. One of the shortcomings has been the batsmen’s inability to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard moving, resulting in then trying to hit themselves out of trouble and paying the penalty when the number of dot balls had kept mounting.

Shanaka is confident that his batsmen can face the full force of Kagiso Rabada and Andre Nortje. 

“If we can survive the first 10 overs without losing any wickets it will be a big advantage for us. I think we can do that.”

Although hard hitting opener and wicket-keeper Kusal Perera is still on the sidelines, Sri Lanka have plenty of wicket-keeping options available to them. Today’s game could see the return to white-ball cricket of former captain Dinesh Chandimal, who has been left out of the format for the last three series against Bangladesh, England and India.

“Form wise, in the T20 invitational final, Minod Bhanuka returned to form. Chandimal was also in good form throughout the tournament, so it will be between the two because Kusal Perera has not come into the squad as yet,” said Shanaka.

In the recently concluded T20 Invitational League Chandimal and Avishka Fernando formed a successful opening partnership for SLC Reds, who made it to the final.

In Sri Lanka’s recent ODI defeats it has been starkly revealed that the lack of an experienced batter or two in the top order was the cause of them failing to bat out the 50 overs and come up with a competitive total. South Africa are coming into the series not having won an ODI series for 18 months and away series for three years.

“It seems that every time we play a series there is always something that we haven’t done and have to overcome as a team,” said South African white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma. 

“Sri Lanka is foreign conditions to us and our main aim is obviously to win the series. Can’t focus too much on what has happened in the past. Yes, we can just learn from it. I have been in the role of captain only for the home series against Pakistan and against Ireland, that was affected by bad weather. What is in front of us is the Sri Lankan tour and to get the right results in our favour.”

Bavuma said the problems that South Africa are confronted with at the moment with their coach Mark Boucher has not affected the team’s preparations.

“Our responsibility and our role as players are to make sure what we do on the field and set certain standards. Our aim is to win and that’s what our mind is at. The conversations have largely been centred around how we can play our best cricket here. That’s where our focus is,” said Bavuma. 

“As players there is no need for us to get involved in other external matters but our focus is what we want to do as a team.”

Bavuma said that he had a bowling attack well equipped to suit all conditions in Sri Lanka.

“Looking at our bowling attack we have a balance. If the pitches are seamer-friendly we have options to exploit that and if they favour the slow bowlers which we expect to, we do have the spinners. We are well equipped from a bowling point of view.”

South African Captain Temba Bavuma (second right) plays a game of football with his team mates at the R. Premadasa Stadium before commencement of practice

SL – SA ODI telecast