ODI win over Australia heralds new dawn in Sri Lankan cricket

Recognized as one of the cricketing powerhouses, Sri Lanka found themselves in disarray during the latter half of the last decade. 

A rough patch was probably on the cards at some point, given their considerable dependence on seasoned campaigners. The likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumara Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Lasith Malinga are among a few Sri Lankan legends who hung up their boots in the past few years.

The departure of ‘big names’ left a gaping hole in the Lankan camp, as they failed to assemble a side capable of being world-beaters. The Asian outfit finished as the runner-ups in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and as such, their fall from grace has been quite surprising to say the least.

From 2018 to mid-2021, Sri Lanka’s ODI cricket hit an unprecedented low. The Lankans lost 10 of the 12 bilateral series they competed in, including four embarrassing clean-sweeps. 

The dip in quality essentially boiled down to an inexperienced set-up and the politics surrounding the selection. Senior pros like Angelo Matthews and Dinesh Chandimal were unavailable in times of adversity, as several new players were handed debuts.

Perhaps, Sri Lanka’s best achievement in the past few years was an unexpected victory over England in their backyard at the ICC 50-over World Cup in 2019. 

Finally, after years of experimenting with combinations and the continuous hunt for future stars, Sri Lanka have taken a giant leap in ODI Cricket.

In the past couple of months, Sri Lanka’s resurgence in limited overs format has been a success story. It has been a story of constant effort and placing faith in the young guns to prove their worth on the big stage. 

All the hard work done behind the scenes reaped dividends in the form of a historic series victory over Australia. With just one fixture remaining in the five-match ODI series, the hosts have claimed an unassailable 3-1 series lead.

The new dawn of Sri Lankan white-ball cricket has been spearheaded by the likes of Pathun Nissanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Charith Asalanka. 

Kusal Mendis has finally managed to unleash himself and is currently the leading run-getter in the ODI series against Australia. On the other hand, all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has been the backbone of the Lankan Lions and will surely take Sri Lankan cricket to new highs in the coming few years.

A bilateral series victory over Australia might not seem like a huge achievement. 

However, it has been a long wait if you are a Sri Lankan fan. Finally, Dasun Shanaka and Co. ended their 30-year-run of coming second to the mighty Australians on home soil in the 50-over format. 

Having been put on the back foot early on in the series, the hosts have come roaring back with three consecutive wins.

Whether it’s defending a low total of 220 runs or registering their highest successful chase in Colombo, Sri Lanka have done it all against Aaron Finch’s men. 

Their spin attack has set a strong precedent for visiting teams, given how they have dominated the Australian batters. The spinners ran riot in the fourth ODI, running through Australia’s middle order in no time.

Dasun Shanaka’s men are on a red-hot streak in ODI cricket, claiming three consecutive series victories. Dasun Shanaka might not be the best all-rounder on show in the present scenario, but he seems to be a perfect fit for the limited-overs captaincy role. 

The skipper stood out with the bat in the final T20I against Australia to avoid a clean sweep. It was also positive to see Dasun taking more responsibility when he opted to bowl the final over in the 4th ODI against Australia.

In addition to their ODI form, Sri Lanka have raised their standards in T20I cricket. Despite being knocked out in the Group stages of the T20I World Cup last year, they put on a valiant display, coming close to pulling off upset wins over England and South Africa.

Although Sri Lankan limited overs cricket is not quite at the top, they are headed in the right direction. The youngsters have given the side some much-needed character and have displayed fearless performances. 

After all, this has been the ideology of the former greats who morphed Sri Lanka into one of the most dangerous sides in world cricket.