SHANAKA KEEN TO CONTINUE RECENT ODI SUCCESS AGAINST AUSTRALIA
Along with the momentum from Saturday’s T20I win against Australia, Sri Lanka’s limited overs captain Dasun Shanaka hopes his team carries their recent success in the 50-over format into the five-match ODI series starting at Pallekele today.
Sri Lanka won their last two series, at home against South Africa and Zimbabwe, but face a much stiffer challenge against the Australians.
“If you take the last two ODI series, and the series against India (which Sri Lanka lost 2-1), we have played well. We hope to bring the way we played in those matches into this series, and as a team we have prepared well,” Shanaka said.
Shanaka added that with six batsmen and two all-rounders slated to feature in today’s first match, Sri Lanka’s recent Under 19 captain Dunith Wellalage could make his international cricket debut.
There appears to be no change to the wicket-keeping role, with selectors seemingly keen to continue with the same choice as the T20I series.
“The selectors are hoping to go forward with Kusal Mendis as the wicketkeeper,” Shanaka said.
Australia suffered another injury setback on Monday as fast bowler Kane Richardson returned home with a hamstring problem.
Test skipper Pat Cummins will however return to the side for the five-match ODI series beginning on Tuesday after recovering from a longrunning injury.
Richardson picked up his injury during the warm-up for the final Twenty20 international match but played Saturday’s game before the severity was detected in a scan the next day.
“I wasn’t aware of the injury during the game so that was pretty big of him to get through a T20 game of that intensity,” skipper Aaron Finch said as he named his side for the first ODI.
Richardson had been included in the ODI squad following injuries to paceman Mitchell Starc and all-rounders Sean Abbott and Mitchell Marsh.