SL, ENGLAND SET FOR ONE-OFF T20I FACE-OFF
Sri Lanka will take on England in the one-off Twenty20 International at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today. Sri Lanka will be confident after their thumping victory in the final ODI, while England will look to prove the 219-run loss (DLS method) was only a blip.
England were dominant throughout the one-day international series, winning three matches on the bounce after a washout in the first game, until the final game, when Sri Lanka’s bowlers – Akila Dananjaya and Dushmantha Chameera ripped through their batting order to reduce the visitors to 132 for nine, securing a massive 219-run victory on the DLS method.
England have brilliant personnel for whiteball cricket but every now and then they have succumbed to quality spin.
The hosts have even included Kamindu Mendis, the ambidextrous spinner, in the side to add another dimension to their mystery spin reserves.
Dananjaya, who was the leading wicket-taker from either side in the ODI series, is almost sure to feature in the XI too.
It will be interesting to see if Sri Lanka pair him with Mendis for the T20 game. The other spin option is Lakshan Sandakan, who didn’t do too well in the ODIS.
But spin won’t be the only thing for England to worry about, given that twice in the ODIS they were troubled by the quicks.
Lasith Malinga took five for 44 in the second match, and Chameera’s pace earned him three top-order scalps in Alex Hales, Joe Root and Jos Buttler in Sri Lanka’s lone victory.
Captain Eoin Morgan, who sat out the last ODI, will be the key to England reversing the fortunes, and they will want other star performers like Jos Buttler to fire as well.
For Sri Lanka, Captain Thisara Perera will also be their X-factor with both bat and ball.
His big-hitting ability could come in handy in the back-end of the innings.
England look like the slightly stronger side, but Sri Lanka too have the players to seize the day, particularly with home support and a bit of renewed confidence behind them. (ICC)