Rex’s Assessment of the Sri Lankan Team’s Recent ODI Wins-by Rex Clementine
Source:Thuppahis
in The Island, 16 February 2025, where the title reads “Remarkable Turnaround for Sri Lanka’s ODI Team” .… with highlights being impositons by The Editor, Thuppahi
A year ago, Sri Lanka found themselves languishing at eighth in the ODI rankings, a far cry from their glory days when they rewrote the rules of one-day cricket. Fast forward 12 months, and they’ve leapfrogged three places to settle at number five. Their recent emphatic series win over Australia is the latest sign that this team is on an upward trajectory, clawing their way back to where they rightfully belong.
Kusal Mendis –fine innings
One of the biggest shifts has been in the fielding department. The team has placed a premium on agility, reflexes, and sharpness in the field, turning half-chances into game-changing moments. Gone are the days of butterfingers; Sri Lanka is now making the opposition work hard for every run.
With the bat, the team has found the right tempo – setting daunting totals and successfully chasing down stiff targets. Pathum Nissanka has been firing on all cylinders at the top, providing solidity. Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, has delivered clutch performances, his latest being a superb century against Australia – his fifth in ODIs and his first against the five-time world champions.
Captain Charith Asalanka has been a revelation, leading from the front. His back-to-the-wall hundred in the first ODI, battling alongside the tail, was the stuff of grit and determination. Then, in the second game, with a solid platform already set, he cut loose in the death overs, propelling Sri Lanka to an imposing 281. His aggressive approach in the final ten overs – where Sri Lanka plundered 97 runs – was a masterclass in finishing an innings with authority.
The bowling unit has been just as impressive. Asitha Fernando has been breathing fire with the new ball, rattling the Aussies early and putting them on the back foot. His three-wicket burst in the second ODI set the stage for Sri Lanka’s spin attack to weave their magic. Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga ran riot, sharing seven wickets between them and leaving the Australians in a spin. Maheesh Theekshana, too, had his moments, ensuring that Australia never found any breathing space in the first game.
Friday’s performance was nothing short of clinical. Sri Lanka didn’t just beat Australia – they steamrolled them. The 107 all-out humiliation was Australia’s lowest in Asia, marking their heaviest defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankans.
Last year, Sri Lanka snapped a 27-year drought by winning an ODI series against India. Now, they’ve humbled the reigning world champions. Yet, despite their rise to number five, they’ll miss out on a Champions Trophy berth – a cruel blow resulting from their disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign, where they finished ninth and failed to make the top-eight cutoff.
This is a young team with time on their side. The average age of the squad is just 26, meaning that most of these players will still be in their prime when the next ODI World Cup rolls around in 2027 in South Africa. Before that, Sri Lanka will co-host the T20 World Cup with India next year. It’s been a while since a Sri Lankan team walked into an ICC event with genuine title aspirations – but with the way this side is shaping up, that might just change.
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PLUS TPS EDITORIAL COMMENTS
Australian TV channels did not display this match [as far as I could see]; so I speak from a position of ignorance. Rex’s appraisal is a welcome and insightful inervention; but I encourage other witnesses to comment on the two matches and the total contrast with the outcomes of the two Test matches preceding.
I note that Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Did that have any bearing on the outcomes?
It strikes me that Asalanka’s leadership and batsmanship was outstanding and one factor in the process. Am I correct?
I note that Asalanka is a Richmondite schooled in Galle. But, so too is Dhananjaya the captain of the Test team.
Another facet has been the fighting performances of a smallish, slightly built figure: Dunith Wellalage out of St Joseph’s. The determination of such personnel as Wellalage [and Vandersay] is manifest on the field and an inspiration to teammates as well as fans. Credit to the SL selectors
