T20WC: Sri Lanka battle middle-order woes, Hasaranga absence vs Oman
Sri Lanka will have to iron out their batting inconsistencies, particularly in the middle overs, and rework their bowling combination in the absence of an injured Wanindu Hasaranga when they take on Oman in a Group B match of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday.
The former champions were dealt a severe blow after Hasaranga, their most potent spin weapon, was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury sustained during their opener against Ireland. Sri Lanka had a disappointing build-up to the ICC showpiece, entering the tournament on the back of a 0-3 drubbing by England at home. However, the co-hosts made a positive start to their campaign with a 20-run win over a tricky Ireland.
The victory, though, could not mask their batters’ struggle against spin. The 2014 champions failed to hit a single boundary between the seventh and 15th overs after Ireland introduced spin, an area Oman will look to exploit. Things could have turned messy but for Kamindu Mendis, who smashed a 19-ball 44 in the death overs to lift Sri Lanka to a competitive total. While Kamindu provided the late acceleration, Kusal Mendis capitalised on reprieves to anchor the innings with a half-century.
The team will, however, expect more from openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara, who failed to convert their starts. Hasaranga had put in a superb effort against Ireland, completing his four overs and claiming three crucial wickets despite discomfort. In his absence, Dushan Hemantha, who has played just five ODIs and three T20Is, will have big shoes to fill after being named as replacement.
Fellow spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who also claimed three wickets in the opener, will have to shoulder added responsibility. Oman, on the other hand, were well short of runs against Zimbabwe, slumping to an eight-wicket defeat. Making their fourth appearance in the T20 showpiece, Oman struggled against pace and extra bounce, with their top five batters failing to reach double digits in Colombo.
They will need to quickly address those frailties if they are to spring a surprise like they did on debut in 2016, when they defeated Ireland. Skipper Jatinder Singh knows his side will need to put up at least 150-160 runs to give their bowling attack, their stronger suit, something to defend. Sufyan Mehmood impressed with two wickets in the previous outing, while Shah Faisal also bowled well.
Teams (from):
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Pramod Madushan, Dushan Hemantha.
Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed, Mohammad Nadeem, Jay Odedra, Ashish Odedara, Shafiq Jan.
