In the first One Day International (ODI), Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka. If they had maintained that momentum, the Tigers could have secured the series with just one more match. However, that did not happen. Sri Lanka turned the series around by defeating Bangladesh by 3 wickets in the second ODI.
This victory on Friday was largely attributed to Sri Lankan batsmen Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka. Aside from them, Wanindu Hasaranga also contributed significantly with the bat towards the end. This prompted praises from their batting coach, Thilan Samaraweera, during the post-match press conference.
Samaraweera said, “These two batsmen (Asalanka and Nissanka) have been consistently scoring runs for the past few months. They have been scoring runs consistently. Especially, Nissanka has scored a double century against Afghanistan. Later, he scored another century. Today, he did it again. He’s quite consistent. With time, he’s evolving into a mature cricketer.”
He added, “They have to understand the conditions and situation here. These two batsmen are usually very calm. They gather a lot of information from outside. They are great friends. They are always together. They know each other’s capabilities. This is crucial.”
Samaraweera further explained, “Actually, it’s too early to say anything now. Because there’s still 3 years left for the next World Cup. I’m sure the selectors have plans. If the planning is right, then we’ll see at least 4-5 players who have played 100 ODIs in the next World Cup. It hasn’t happened in the recent World Cups. We need experienced cricketers. They will perform even better.”
