Can Sri Lanka script a comeback to save series?

Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Chaminda Vaas watches his team during a practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium – Dhaka on Monday – AFP

A middle-overs muddle with bat and ball seems to be Sri Lanka’s biggest problem, which they’ll be hoping to address as they attempt a comeback in the three-match series against Bangladesh in the second ODI today at Dhaka. The hosts, meanwhile, will be eyeing a series win in a bid to top the World Cup Super League table.

Sri Lanka, in the first game, started off well with bat and ball, but a lack of penetration in the middle overs hurt them dearly. They lost 4/20 runs in the middle overs which diffused all hopes of a comeback until Wanindu Hasaranga entered the fray. The all-rounder fought fire with fire and tonked bowlers to all corners, engineering vital partnerships with Dasun Shanaka and Isuru Udana while at it. With 47 to get, both Hasaranga and Udana got out off of successive deliveries, bringing an end to what seemed like an inspired comeback.

“Our batsmen must bat at least 30-35 overs. I was a bit disappointed with that,” a disappointed Kusal Perera said in the post-match presentation. Three of the top four batters, including the skipper, got starts but none failed to convert it into a significant one.

The onus, once again, will be on their experienced openers – Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka – to dig deep and play a significant knock. The bowling department, despite lack of experience, surpassed expectations, but a little more consistency from the spin duo of Hasaranga-Sandakan would do a world of good for the visitors. Hasaranga, the lone bright spot in the batting department from the first ODI, could be promoted up the order given his counter-attacking instincts, which nearly threatened to take the game away from the hosts on Sunday.

Man of the match Mushfiqur Rahim, who top scored with a well-constructed 84, was involved in a 109-run stand with Mahmudullah, who also made a half-century, which turned things around for Bangladesh. This was followed by an inspired spell of bowling from Mehidy Hasan Mirza that saw them home comfortably by 33 runs, thus ending their ten-match losing streak across formats.

Mehidy took 4/30 to wreck Sri Lanka’s top order and put Bangladesh on course to defend their total of 257/6. He played a crucial role behind their win as he dismissed Danushka Gunathilaka caught in the powerplay and later bowled Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva and Ashen Bandara after returning in the middle overs that put Sri Lanka on the backfoot.

Mehidy said Bangladesh didn’t lose belief despite Hasaranga’s cameo (74 off 60 balls) that gave Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope.

‘’He (Hasaranga) batted very well and was hitting cleanly but we always believed that if a wicket falls, we would get back into the match,’’ said Mehidy. 

“The only thing in our mind was that whenever the wicket falls, we would come back because after that there was no batsman as that was their last pair.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan has said that there was no need to panic as nothing serious had happened and they were following the protocol after one Sri Lanka player (Shiran Fernando) was tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the commencement of the first ODI on Sunday.

BCB President Hassan later on the day revealed that they would increase their precautionary measures after the incident, although he expressed his frustration to arrange matches in a tight bio-bubble environment.

“I don’t know about the others but it has become very difficult for us. Firstly, our culture is different and secondly, we can’t do a practice like we really want to do,” Nazmul told reporters.

The first ODI also saw a four-minute delay start, but not because of the last-minute COVID-19 adjustment, as the DRS system wasn’t ready at that time.