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“We can be competitive if we put up 250-260 in the ODIs and 150-160 in T20Is” – Athapaththu
The Commonwealth Games are a little over a month away, and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu is under no illusions as to how important the upcoming limited-overs series against India is in terms of preparation, especially for a side that is high on potential, but rather light on experience.
“We have to play the Commonwealth Games in July, we’re leaving on the 25th. This series against India is very important for us in that sense, as we haven’t played any games in the last two years,” Athapaththu said on the eve of the first T20I in Dambulla.
“We have a lot of good, young players but the thing is they don’t have much experience. This is an opportunity for them to showcase their skills.”
This was Athapaththu’s first media engagement following Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan – the team’s first bilateral tour in over two years. The tour was a rough one, with an understandably rusty Sri Lankan outfit stumbling through most of it on spin-friendly tracks, which their batters struggled to come to terms with. They, however, did end it on a high note, with a consolation win in the final of three ODIs, having earlier been swept 3-0 in the T20I series.
While the defeats were no doubt frustrating for a competitor as fierce as Athapaththu, she was more than happy to outline the positives her young side was able to take away from the tour.
“Those three matches in Karachi – and it wasn’t even the main ground that we played on – I think they knew that our batters perform better on wickets that have good pace and bounce, especially me. So the wickets they had prepared were quite slow and low. It took us too long to adapt to the conditions. That said, we learned a lot from the series. Particularly how to adapt to conditions quickly, and how to tackle spinners more effectively.”
With India up next, Athapaththu knows that things won’t be getting any easier. However, she’s hopeful that more familiar home conditions could see her side put up more of a fight.
“In our home conditions, we know what to expect, what the ball is likely to do. There’s also going to be quite a bit of wind in Dambulla, so knowing which way it blows and so on, that knowledge is going to be quite important in taking on a side as good as India. Using the conditions to our advantage is going to be crucial.”
This is an Indian side that, while no doubt formidable, is also going through a transition of their own – albeit to a far lesser extent. Former captain Mithali Raj is now retired, while veteran seamer Jhulan Goswami has also been left out for the series; the pair has 433 ODIs and 157 T20Is of experience. India’s spinners, meanwhile, haven’t been the most impactful in recent times.
Athapaththu therefore believes that the key difference between the two sides in the upcoming games could come down to their respective batters – of which India’s are more experienced and more proven in their ability to score rapidly.
“If you look at the Indian team, about six-seven players play in the some of the best women’s leagues in the world such as the WBBL, The Hundred and the Women’s IPL. So they have a lot more experience at the highest level than some of our players. But the last time India came to Sri Lanka we beat them in an ODI.
“The most important thing is our batting. If our batters can score put up scores of 250-260 in the ODIs, and around 150-160 in the T20s, I think we can be competitive. If you look at the bowlers of both sides, I think it’s around the same level, but it’s in the batting that they have an advantage. They have a lot of players that can score quickly and players that have a lot of experience. Our team, our experience in terms of players who are able to score fast, is quite low. That’s probably where our weakness lies, but if our players play to their potential then they can beat any side in the world on their day.”
Much of the responsibility therefore will fall on Athapaththu’s shoulders. In Pakistan, it was her match-winning turn in the final ODI, where she picked up two wickets to go with her century, that set up Sri Lanka’s win. Prior to that, Athapaththu’s tour had been an underwhelming one by her high standards, with her highest score being 37. It’s safe to say, an on-song Athapaththu is Sri Lanka’s best chance of victory, something she too is acutely aware of – though she is confident that with added experience that burden will slowly be lifted.
“To be honest, the batting unit now is quite youthful,” Athapaththu said. “So the longer I’m out there batting with them, the more valuable it is for them and the team. In the Pakistan series, I was sadly unable to give my best, especially because of the tough conditions. By the time I adjusted to the wickets it was a bit too late, which is why I was only able to really make a noteworthy contribution to the team in the final game.
“From the batting side especially, I think my batting is quite valuable to the side. There are not many experienced batters in the side, but there are a few experienced players in the bowling unit. So I look forward to giving my best for the side in this series.”
Sri Lanka’s batting struggles have largely centred around their inability to rotate strike effectively, leading to an unwanted tendency to rack up large numbers of dot balls – a trait the men’s team also shares, but has more recently been working their way through. Athapaththu revealed that discussions surrounding the issue have been had, and that plans are in place to address the matter.
“If you look at our team, each player’s potential and skills differ. Harshitha Madavi, more than hitting sixes , her skill lies in finding the gaps for boundaries and scorings ones and twos. We need to identify which players can keep the scoreboard ticking with singles and which are more adept at hitting boundaries and sixes.
“We’ve worked on this and we’ve set targets so as to reduce the number of dot balls; for example in the ODIs we want to score at least 100 singles. But it’s important to increase the boundary percentage as well, and that responsibility needs to be taken on by the players who are capable of doing that. I’m not saying you’ll see over night, but I think we will get there eventually.”
Among those Athapaththu is hopeful of making a major contribution in the upcoming tour, she makes a point to name check a couple: Kavisha Dilhari and Harshitha Madavi. Twenty-one and 23 years of age respectively, the pair has rightly been identified as the future of the Sri Lankan women’s team.
Madavi, like Athapaththu, took a while to get acclimatised to the Pakistani pitches, but ended the tour with scores of 41 and 75 – the latter a part of a critical 152-run stand with her captain, that laid the platform for victory in the third ODI. Dilhari, meanwhile, with her excellent fielding, impactful offbreaks, and crucial ability to find boundaries, is an allrounder with the potential to go right to the top of the game – and scores of 28, 32 and 49* in the three ODIs, showed that she might very well be growing into that pivotal No.4 role left vacant by the retirement of former captain Shashikala Siriwardene.
“Kavisha Dilhari is a very talented cricketer, and one that I think can make a big impact against India. I think a lot of other countries also speak about and recognise her talents. Losing Shashikala’s skills was definitely a loss for the side, but I can see that little by little Kavisha is starting to settle into that role. Her maturity also belies her age.
“Harshitha is a good cricketer, she has represented Sri Lanka for the last few years. She is very talented. She will be our next captain. She’s young but she’s playing very good cricket. This tour is important for her. India is a good side, a good experienced team, and we have to play our best cricket against the best teams.”
“I hope they can bring their best into this series. If they perform, I’m sure we can win.”
Of the others, Athapaththu also spoke of young Vishmi Gunaratne, at 16 the youngest player in the squad, and the uncapped pair of Kaushani Nuthyangana and Rashmi de Silva.
“Vishmi is a very promising player for us in the future. We have a lot of belief she’ll do very well for the team, especially going by her track record at school, domestically and club level.
“Prasadani Weerakody is not in the side, and that has opened the door for Kaushani. She’s a very talented keeper and can bat at the top of the order as well. Obviously not everyone can play every game, but I hope she takes the opportunity when it arrives.
“Rashmi is our new legspinner, and she’s really good. The last couple of years we had been on the look out for a good legspinner. Rashmi has played well domestically, and I hope she’ll continue that in this series well.
“In the last couple of years we tried to go with more senior players, but that didn’t really work out for us. So now we’re trying to bring a few new faces into the team, and hopefully they’ll play good cricket in the next couple of years.”
(Cricinfo)
The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.
Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.
The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.
Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head to head record is less impressive in T20 however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.
Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.
Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh from an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.
Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.
Australia (probable XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
The one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.
England (probable XI): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley/Mark Wood
[Cricinfo]
Once is coincidence, twice is a clue, and three times is proof.
To paraphrase Agatha Christie, that is the narrative around South Africa’s meeting with Netherlands at this T20 World Cup.
The Dutch beat South Africa at the 2022 tournament and ended their semi-final hopes in a match where South Africa appeared to be sleep walking, and then beat them again at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they exposed South Africa’s vulnerability in the chase. If they to do the treble, not only will Netherlands take the lead in Group D, but they will offer conclusive evidence of the threat they pose to Full Members, especially South Africa.
Of course, it will take some doing after South Africa’s opening performance against Sri Lanka, where they reduced their opposition to their lowest T20I total and chased it down in fairly straightforward fashion thanks to the most stable middle-order of their white-ball era. In Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, South Africa have bankers and big-hitters and, for this match, they also have the advantage of experience. They’ve already played at Eisenhower Park, and have first-hand knowledge that run-scoring doesn’t come easily;Klassen said they are prepared to use their “cricket brains” and play “smarter cricket”.
But the conditions could be good news for Netherlands, who are not naturally a line-up of big hitters and build their innings on a foundation of turning ones into twos. In other words, they tend to take a slightly more conservative approach to batting, which may work well here, but they’ll be wary of the uneven bounce of the surface and will have to come up with plans to counterattack especially against South Africa’s seamers. Their own bowlers were exemplary in Dallas and will look to build on that performance against a line-up that will likely be more proactive than Nepal’s, but who they have managed to keep quiet not once, but twice in the past. Third time’s the charm, they say.
Anrich Nortje’s stunning return to form against Sri Lanka means South Africa may not have to tinker with the bowling combination, and Gerald Coetzee and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to wait their turns to get a game. The batting line-up should be unchanged, with no space for Ryan Rickelton yet.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markam, Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Ottneil Baartman, Anrich Nortje
Conditions in New York may tempt Netherlands to include an extra seamer and they have Kyle Klein in their squad. But it could come at the expense of a shortened batting line-up and they may not want to risk that.
Netherlands: Michael Levitt, Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Scott Edwards (capt, wk), Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Tim Pringle, Paul van Meekeren, Vivian Kingma
[Cricinfo]
Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match,as he first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get.
However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed Bangladesh across the line off the last ball of the 19th over.
But this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad Hossain’s three-for through the middle overs also kept Sri Lanka quiet.
Mustafizur was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, their inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 125 for 8 in 19 overs (Towhid Hridoy 40, Litton Das 36; Dhanajaya de Silva 1-11, Nuwan Thushara 4-18, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-32, Matheesha Pathirana 1-27) beat Sri Lanka124 for 9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 47, Dhananjaya de Silva 21; Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-24, Taskin Ahmed 2-25, Mustafizur Rahman 3-17, Rishad Hossain 3-22) by two wickets
[Cricinfo]
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