Sports
Australia vs Sri Lanka an enthralling ODI series
by Anura Tennekoon
The recently concluded 0DI series between Australia and Sri Lanka was one of the best if not the best cricket series witnessed on Sri Lankan soil. I am of this opinion due to the highly competitive and attractive cricket played by both sides.
1st ODI at Pallakelle Stadium Kandy
This contest was won by Australia by two wickets on the Duckworth & Lewis method as the game was affected by rain.
Sri Lanka batting 1st scored 300 for seven in 50 overs, with Kausal Mendis returning to form with a commanding innings of 86 not out.
Agar bowled best for Australia with figures of two for 49. Australia in its turn scored 282 for eight in 42.3 overs with the revised target being 282 in 44 overs. Maxwell led the way for Australia with a belligerent 80 not out. Hasaranga captured four wickets for 58.
2nd ODI at Pallakelle Stadium Kandy
Sri Lanka batted first to notch up 220 for nine in 47.4 overs. Once again Kusal Mendis was the top scorer with 36 runs. Pat Cummins was the main wrecker with four for 59. Australia in their turn were all out for 189 in 37.1 overs in response to a revised target of 216 in 43 overs. Chamika Karunaratne showed his prowess as a bowler in capturing three wickets while Chameera, Wellalage, and Dananjaya took two wickets apiece. This was a comprehensive win for Sri Lanka and signalled to Australia that they were up for a fight.
3rd ODI at Ketharama
Australia batted first and made 291 for six in 50 overs. Travis Head being the main scorer with a well compiled unbeaten 70. Vandersay three for 49 compensated for the absence of Hasaranga due to injury. Sri Lanka chasing a stiff target batted brilliantly to overhaul the Australian total in 48.3 overs for the loss of four wickets. Pathum Nissanka played a master class innings of 137 runs which made the difference in this game. I described his innings more comprehensively in a previous article of mine. Jhye Richardson was the only bowler to withstand the Sri Lankan onslaught taking two wickets for 39 runs. Sri Lanka going two up in the series must have been looking forward for the next match to seal the series.
4th ODI at Ketharama
In this game Sri Lanka batting first, lost early wickets, when Asalanka and Dananjaya associated themselves in a big partnership and pulled Sri Lanka out of trouble. Asalanka went onto score his maiden ODI century while holding the Sri Lankan innings together for a total of 258 all out in 49 overs. Australia in chasing down this moderate score were doing well when suddenly they lost three wickets in a space of two overs which turned the game on its head and Australia were all out for 254 loosing by four runs. Thus Sri Lanka registered a historic series win. Warner was unlucky to miss a well deserved century by one run.
5th ODI at Ketharama
The final game of this absorbing series was one in which Australia had to play for pride. Sri Lanka batting first kept loosing wickets regularly and looked like being restricted to a score of under100 runs. Chamika Karunaratne had other thoughts and established two partnerships with Vandersay and debutant Madushan and took the total to 160. Chamika batted aggressively with authority to stamp himself as a more than useful all-rounder in scoring 75 runs in 74 balls. Now this recovery in the Sri Lankan innings gave heart to its bowlers and they made batting tough for the Aussies on a wicket taking vicious turn. The Australians huffed and puffed in scoring the required runs winning by four wickets. Credit must be given to the Sri Lankan bowlers who almost defended a meagre score. 19 year old Wellalage was a revelation in this series showing an abundance of talent and temperament.
He is bound to do well in the future. Taking facts and figures I have enumerated it is evident that this series was hard fought and Sri Lanka came on top due to them winning more key moments. If this relatively young team keeps improving they will be strong contenders in the 2023 fifty overs World Cup which is being staged in India. The wickets and conditions there will be to our liking.
I would like to pay a tribute to Sri Lankans who turned up for the final game of the series in Aussie colours. This was a magnanimous gesture which is what sport is all about. In conclusion I say that the players and spectators made Cricket the winner in this series.
Ravi Shastri says he would not be shocked if India captain Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket, but if he is selected for a swansong match he should play with as little baggage as possible as the tourists fight to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and keep their World Test Championship 2025 final hopes alive in Sydney.
Joining Sanjana Ganesan in the latest edition of The ICC Review – a short time before India head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to confirm Sharma’s place in the XI – a frank Shastri said the skipper should play free from inhibitions that have stifled his game during his lean run of form.
“If I was anywhere near Rohit Sharma, I’ll tell him, ‘Just go and smash it. Just go out there and have a blast’,” Shastri said on The ICC Review.
“Just as it is when you’re trying to play the way you are at the moment, it’s not looking great. Go out there and take the attack to the opposition and then let’s see what happens.”
Retirement speculation around Sharma has only grown since Gambhir’s pre-match press conference on Thursday, with Sharma making 31 runs at an average of 6.2 in his five knocks this series.
The regular skipper was not a member of the side that won the first Test match of the series in Perth, and Shastri admitted the end of Sharma’s career could come quickly. “He’ll take a call on his career but I won’t be shocked at all if Sharma retires because he’s not getting younger,” said Shastri.
“There are other young players in the wings, there’s Shubman Gill, a player of his quality averaging over 40 in the year 2024 and not playing.
“It tricks your brain as to what is he doing sitting on the bench and warming it. So I won’t be surprised but it’s his call.
“At the end of the day, if India had qualified for the World Test Championship Final or if they still qualify for the World Test Championship Final, then it’s another thing altogether.
“Otherwise, I think it might just be the opportune time – but if Sharma plays he should go out with a blaze of glory.”
Known for his barnstorming nature with the bat irrespective of the format, Sharma bowed out of the T20I format a winner, claiming World Cup silverware in the West Indies in 2024 as captain, making two half-centuries in his last three innings in the campaign. He remains poised for a tilt at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, though his faults against the red-ball have been under the microscope given the lean run in recent months.
“I think from the outside when I see it, I think he’s a little late on the ball,” Shastri noted. “His feet aren’t moving as well as they normally do. Even at his prime, his footwork was minimal, but there was more. He was more towards the ball. At the moment, I think he’s caught on the crease.
“It is much like Usman Khawaja in the Australian team, where you’re neither forward nor back. And I think when Rohit is moving more towards the ball and the intent is there to take on the opposition, that’s when the right signals go from the brain to the feet to do what they have to do.
“I want him to just get out there, smash it, try and win this Test match. You might have lost a Test. You have not lost the series as yet. Try and win this Test match to keep that Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“It’s going out there and not playing his natural game that’s affecting him.”
The fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Test begins on Friday, with Australia holding a 2-1 lead.
India must win the Sydney Test match to keep their slim World Test Championship Final hopes alive, and would also need Australia to not win either of their two Test matches in Sri Lanka to lock in their spot for Lord’s in June.
[ICC]
In the end Sri Lanka did enough. That’s not something you’d expect to say about a team that had racked up 218 runs in their first innings, but it speaks towards just how well New Zealand had set about their chase for most of the innings.
Indeed, for about 15 overs of the chase New Zealand were keeping up with the nearly 11-an-over required rate, and when Daryl Mitchell struck Charith Asalanka for four consecutive sixes in a 25-run 15th over they might have even been ahead.
Sri Lanka then thought they had done enough with a couple of wickets at the death, before Zachary Foulkes’ final-over fireworks provided yet another scare. But despite frayed nerves, Sri Lanka held on to close out a consolatory seven-run win – their first in New Zealand since 2006.
It was a victory setup largely by Kusal Perera’s maiden T20I ton, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, coming off just 44 deliveries. Having entered inside the powerplay, he fell with less than two overs left in the innings, and such was the impact of his innings even a run-a-ball final two overs couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from registering their second highest T20I total ever.
Asalanka also played a starring role – despite the treatment meted out by Mitchell – backing up his 46 off 24 with the bat with a three-wicket haul that derailed New Zealand’s well-planned chase. He also took a scorcher of a catch at extra cover to cap an impressive outing. There was however no looking beyond Perera for the player of the match award.
Jacob Duffy, a thorn in Sri Lanka’s side throughout the series, picked up just the solitary wicket this time round, although his economy rate of 7.50 was still the best of any bowler that bowled at least two overs in the game. He was deservedly named player of the series.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 218 for 5 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 101, Charith Asalanka 46, Kusal Mendis 22; Matt Henry 1-47, Jacob Duffy 1-30, Zakary Foulkes 1-52, Mitchell Santner 1-36, Daryl Mitchell 1-06) beat New Zealand 211 for 7 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 69, Tim Robinson 37, Daryl Mitchell 35, Zakary Foulkes 21-; Charith Asalanka 3-50, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-38, Nuwan Thushara 1-33, Binura Fernando 1-43) by 7 runs
[Cricinfo]
Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ Cricket Tournament
by Reemus Fernando
Mahanama College Colombo and St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa lead the respective groups, while St. Anthony’s College Katugastota are the team to gain the maximum from the year end cricket encounters as the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket tournament reached the halfway mark on new year’s eve.
Mahanama have remained the team to beat in their group from the time the tournament commenced. The team skippered by Anuka Wijewardhane have remained unbeaten in the tournament proper. They are the only team to record two outright victories in the tier ‘A’ tournament.
Rain prevented St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa going for a probable second outright victory on the new year’s eve but the first innings points they earned against St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya further cemented their position as the undisputed leaders in Group ‘Y’ also inclusive of Trinity who remained in the second spot despite not playing a match this week. St. Sebastian’s captained by Ryan Dissanayake have remained unbeaten in the tournament proper.
Keys: MP- Matches played, IW- Innings win, IL – Lost by an innings, WO – Won outright, LO
– Lost outright, 1st IW- Won on 1st innings, 1st IL – Lost on first innings, 1st IT – Tied on 1st
innings, MT – Match ended in tie, ND- No decision, TP- Total points, AVE – Average
Note: This is a points table prepared by The Island. The official year end points table has
not been published by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association yet.
The Petes are placed third in the table, while the massive score Royal posted against Maliyadewa have helped them keep the fourth position in the points table.
St. Anthony’s captained by Charuka Ekanayake overtook Lumbini and S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia to be placed third behind table leaders Mahanama and St. Joseph’s in group ‘X’. Their average rose from 8.848 to 11.41 points thanks to their massive innings and 19 runs victory over St. Benedict’s, who have now slumped to the eighth position in the nine-team group.
St. Servatius’ are placed last after having suffered two outright defeats in that group while St. Benedict’s are just above them with a meagre average of 6.755 points.
In group ‘Y’, D.S. Senanayaka are in the last position but they have so far played only three matches.
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