Sri Lanka suffered a shock and convincing 8-wicket defeat in the 3rd T20I to lose their first series against Bangladesh. While it was sheer joy and jubilation for the Tigers, Sri Lanka were left with plenty to ponder as to where things went wrong in the match and series. After winning the first game easily, they have suffered two back-to-back defeats. There are areas the Lankans needs to work on and we will list three different reasons for their defeat.
Losing wickets at regular intervals derails Sri Lanka’s battingÂ
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Sri Lanka never really got the momentum going in their innings. They lost wickets at regular intervals in the powerplay and beyond. The hosts lost Kusal Mendis in the first over and never recovered from that jolt. It was a procession as they were reduced to 34/3 in 4.3 overs and 40/3 in 6 overs. They were 66/4 in 10 overs but lost a wicket in the second half of the innings as well.
They were 103/7 in 17 overs and a mere 110 after 19 overs. Dasun Shanaka with his heroics in the final over did take them to 132 but it was a below par score on that surface as the Sri Lankan captain admitted later on that he erred in the toss by batting first. But they batted badly and Pathum Nissanka tried his best by holding one end up and scoring 46 off 39 balls but he too fell at the wrong time and in the end, bad batting costs them dear.
With the T20 World Cup set to be played early next year in India and Sri Lanka, the Lankans need to pull up their socks and address these areas because in this format they have struggled in the recent past and they must plug these gaping holes.
Inability to take wickets while defending hampers Sri Lanka
Defending 132 was always going to be difficult, but one expected Sri Lanka to show some fight and determination. But unfortunately they did not and went down tamely. They did get an early wicket of Parvez Hossain Emon off the first ball of the innings but failed to get a wicket thereafter. Tanzid Hasan was the star guiding through the innings and stayed unbeaten till the end.
Tanzid first put on 74 runs off 50 balls with captain Litton Das. Das made 32 off 26 balls. Then he also put on an unbroken 59-run stand off 48 balls with Towhid Hridoy. Hridoy made 27* off 25 balls. This made sure that Sri Lanka did not get a look in at all. When a small target is being defended, it is expected that the fielding side makes it tough for them. But Tanzid and the rest chased these with ease without breaking a sweat. Lots of loose balls were dished up as well.
Sri Lanka will aim to address these issues as well. Defending a small total is tough, but at least making a match out of it is all what the crowd and all Sri Lankan fans and well wishers want.
Failing to play Mahedi Hasan costs Sri Lanka
Mahedi Hasan was the star of the show as his 4/11 completely derailed the Lankans. While Mahedi bowled beautifully, it also exposed Sri Lanka’s performance against spin for the second game in a row. Even in Dambulla they struggled against spin in the chase and now while batting first as well. Sri Lanka lost 4 wickets to Mahedi while Rishad may not have got a wicket, he kept the batters under check giving away only 20 runs in his 4 overs.
Compared that to the Sri Lankan spinners, and they gave away plentiful of runs and picked up one which was by Kamindu Mendis. Vandersay was economical but did not get any wickets. Yes, the target was small, but they should have created pressure which they did not while Bangladesh were excellent with spinners leading their way.
Sri Lanka’s performance against spin is worrisome and they must address this as well since in the last two games they have faltered against spin. With the World Cup in the sub-continent, Sri Lanka will have to play a lot of spin bowlers from the opposition and must play them well in order to succeed in the World Cup.
What Lies Ahead.Â
Sri Lanka now have a break for a while after this series against Bangladesh which concluded on 16th July. They may host India in a white-ball series in August, but that is yet to be confirmed by both boards. Bangladesh, on the other hand, will return home confident and raring to go in a T20I series against Pakistan starting on 20th of July.
So, more cricket coming up for the Tigers, while Sri Lanka will enjoy a breather for now. Lots to look forward to and ponder for both teams going ahead.
Also Read: SL vs BAN: 3 Reasons for Sri Lanka’s Gut-Wrenching Loss in 2nd T20