Sri Lanka simply cannot buy a win against England as they crashed to their 14th consecutive defeat against the hosts in this format. Like the first game, Sri Lanka were nowhere near England, who delivered a crushing performance to win another one-sided game by 6 wickets with more than 7 overs to spare. England are playing at a different level compared to the Lankans, who now have a lot of work to do to avoid the whitewash come Saturday at Old Trafford. We will try to figure out the reason for their loss in this second T20I at Cardiff.
Losing 5/39 in 5.3 overs pushed Sri Lanka on the back foot in this game
Sri Lanka were off to a solid start in the power play after being asked to bat first as the duo of Pathum Nissanka and Lahiru Udara added 56 runs for the first wicket in 5.2 overs. At this stage, things looked up for the visitors as they looked to set a competitive total on the board. Liam Dawson pegged them back a bit by getting rid of Udara and Kamil Mishara off consecutive balls as Sri Lanka ended the power play still well-placed at 56/2 in 6 overs.
Sri Lanka lost the plot after the power play in the initial part of the middle phase of the game. The set batter Pathum Nissanka was dismissed after adding 19 runs with captain Charith Asalanka. Thereafter, Kamindu Mendis fell after adding 14 runs with Asalanka. Dasun Shanaka came and went for a low score as just 6 more runs were added to the score. Sri Lanka went from 56/0 in 5.2 overs to 95/5 in 11.4 overs and is now struggling in the innings.
Yes, there was a brief recovery through the stand between Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga as they added 44 for the 6th wicket to bring Sri Lanka back on track for a defendable score. But that collapse meant Sri Lanka, who were dreaming of getting 180+, had to settle for a sub-par score. Going forward, Sri Lanka cannot afford to have these collapses and must bat better in all phases to challenge the mighty English side.
Conceding 60/2 in the power play defending a sub 150- target sealed the fate of the match
Sri Lanka mustered a below-par score of 145/9 and were in desperate need of wickets and control to put some pressure on England. Early wickets were the key. But the hosts came out all guns blazing. Jos Buttler was in full flow and so was young Aneurin Donald. The duo batted at a breathtaking speed and put on a half-century stand between them to set things up in the chase. They put on 51 for the first wicket before Donald fell after getting a start. Buttler soon followed suit, but the damage was already done.
Captain Harry Brook played a quick cameo as well to make sure England were always ahead in the rate. The required rate in any case was less than 7.50. After a cracking power play, the rate plummeted to run a ball and close to it. The game was sealed there only, and then Tom Banton came and played a whirlwind half-century to put the exclamation mark on the chase. His innings made sure that England chased down 146 in just 12.1 overs. It was not just a win, but a statement win at that.
Sri Lanka needs to find bowlers taking wickets with the new ball to dent England’s massive batting line-up. So far, in these two matches, they have been unable to find breakthroughs with the new ball. And when they have, the damage has already been done. Come the last T20I at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka will look to turn their fortunes around and get early wickets. A win will be a confidence booster for the visitors ahead of the ODI series starting next week.
Wanindu Hasaranga & Eshan Malinga’s expensive spells exposed Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan bowling as a whole went the distance. No particular player had any control over the proceedings while bowling, and that is a real cause of concern for the visitors. Yes, the batting has issues, but the bowling ones run deeper. Two bowlers whom Sri Lanka relies on to give some control are ace spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and new-age sensation pacer Eshan Malinga. Unfortunately, from Sri Lanka’s point of view, they too had a night to forget.
Hasaranga and Malinga both got wickets but went for plenty of runs. Malinga dismissed Donald first-up but went for 27 runs in 2.1 overs. Hasaranga too got a wicket, but he went for 42 runs in 3 overs. Yes, he got Harry Brook out, but the damage was done. In a game where the scores are in the range for 140-150 range, one cannot give these many runs in their respective spells. Hasaranga conceded runs at 14 an over while Malinga went for 12.46.
These are the two bowlers who can give Sri Lanka control. The others also suffered, no doubt about that, barring Chameera, who gave 29 in 3 overs. But these two were expected to perform to their optimum level.
Both these players would like to bring their A-game if Sri Lanka wants to push England and get a consolation win. It’s not going to be easy as England are in red-hot form in this format. But more fight is expected from Sri Lanka, which we haven’t seen yet in this series. They have shown their talent in glimpses, but that is not good enough at this level. The Lankans need to pull up their socks going forward.
What Lies Ahead
We have one more T20I to go in this series, and that is scheduled to be played at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday, 19th September, at 7 PM IST. England will aim for a clean sweep 3-0 win, while Sri Lanka will be desperate for a win against England in T20Is against the hosts after 14 failed attempts. Can they do it and pull off an upset? Find out on Saturday evening.
Also Read:Â ENG vs SL: England Aims To Topple Sri Lanka