Sri Lanka continue to struggle; Pakistan keep ticking off boxes

• Second T20I at Dambulla today

Sa’adi Thawfeeq reporting 

from Dambulla

How often have we heard players say ‘we didn’t bat well’ after losing a match. It makes no difference to Sri Lanka’s batting for they still never learn.

With barely a month before the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka are struggling to come up with a competitive total to test their opponents and give their bowlers a fair chance of bowling out or restricting the other side.

“There was nothing wrong with the wicket, we didn’t bat well. That’s why we couldn’t get to a big total,” said Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the match Janith Liyanage after his team had lost the first T20I to Pakistan by six-wicket at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Invited to bat first Sri Lanka could muster only a miserly 128 and to make matters worse didn’t last their full quota of 20 overs.

“The problem with our batting is that we lose wickets in clusters. That is an area we need to work at. I don’t think there is anything short with our skill but we have to examine why we lose wickets in succession,” said Liyanage.

“We had scored about 100 in 15 overs. From there onwards Wanindu (Hasaranga) and I thought we could get to around 150-160, but we didn’t execute our plans properly and we ended up scoring just 128.”

Knowing the Sri Lankan batsmen’s weakness against leg-spin Pakistan played two of them Abrar Ahmed and Shadab Khan both of whom sliced off half the side.  

Apart from Liyanage who went on to score 40, none of the other batsmen were comfortable against them.

“I found it difficult against them, so to unsettle them I used the crease and my feet. I think I was able to handle them successfully to an extent.”

Disappointed with the outcome Liyanage said, “We have several areas to work on and we are aware of them. In the game we have suffered collapses in the next match we hope to rectify our mistakes and win with our batting. We have done well with our bowling.”

Sri Lanka take on Pakistan in the second T20I with the three-match series on the line.

Mike Hesson, the Pakistani head coach, pleased with the outcome of the match said, “It was a clinical performance. We had some bowlers who worked very well to get into the side. Really pleased the way we started with the ball, the way we controlled the game and obviously our spinners, very pleased the way they performed. But we were a bit untidy on the field.”

For Pakistan who play all their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka this series is of great consequence to them.

“The pitches in Sri Lanka are quite different to Pakistan, especially with the types of grass and the clay and the way the ball holds is important. In Pakistan the ball skids a little bit more. A number of players got the opportunity to play against a very good Sri Lankan spin bowling attack. From a competing point of view it could be a real challenge,” said Hesson.

Apart from Babar Azam who is currently playing in Australia’s BBL, the rest of the Pakistan squad are part of their build up towards the T20 World Cup.

“Babar provides a contrast to our batting group. We’ve got a lot of stroke players, and Babar provides the glue that brings everyone together. We are missing him here, but it provides an opportunity for players who might not necessarily be in the 11 but in the 15,” said Hesson.

“We have made really good progress with the team, and we will be arriving at the World Cup as prepared as we can be and take each game as it comes. Even to get to the Super 8 you’ve got to play good cricket. We know that any side that takes anyone lightly will be exposed and we don’t want to be one of them.”