SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
COLOMBO – In a dramatic ICC World Cup match held in Delhi on Monday, Sri Lanka fell short of finishing their innings with a flourish, albeit amid controversy. Despite an impressive century by middle-order batsman Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka set a target of 280 runs on what seemed like a batting-friendly pitch.
Asalanka showcased his batting prowess, scoring his second ODI hundred and his first in World Cup matches, contributing a total of 279 runs for his team. However, his innings concluded in the 47th over, featuring five sixes and six fours, just as he seemed to be guiding the team towards a higher total.
The Sri Lankan innings started with a setback as Kusal Perera was caught behind off Shoriful Islam, continuing his struggle at the top of the order. Subsequently, skipper Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka managed to put on a partnership of 61 runs for the second wicket.
Sadeera Samarawickrama then added 63 runs for the fourth wicket with Charith Asalanka before getting caught at deep mid-wicket, leaving Sri Lanka at 135/4 at the halfway point of the innings.
An unusual moment occurred when Angelo Mathews was timed out, a rare instance in the history of cricket, as Sri Lanka reached 135/5. Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva formed a crucial 78-run partnership for the sixth wicket before de Silva was stumped off Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Reflecting on the innings, centurion Charith Asalanka expressed his concerns, stating, “My point of view is, it’s not good for the cricket. After that, Dhananjaya came and had a good partnership, and that’s how we built the pace.”
Later in the innings, Maheesh Theekshana added another 45 runs with Asalanka for the seventh wicket before getting caught. However, Sri Lanka couldn’t conclude their innings on the high note they had anticipated, falling short of 20-30 runs, as mentioned by Asalanka.
Chief scores:
Sri Lanka: 279 all out in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 108, Pathum Nissanka 41, Sadeera Samarawickrama 41, Dhananjaya de Silva 34, Maheesh Theekshana 22, Kusal Mendis 19, Tanzim Hasan 3/80, Shoriful Islam 2/52, Shakib Al Hasan 2/57.
