Charith Asalanka can usually count on Khettarama turning square, but the Sri Lanka one-day captain believes this week’s strip might behave differently. Speaking on the eve of the Bangladesh series opener, he suggested the surface will offer something for quicks and strokemakers alike.
“There’s definitely a difference in this surface,” he said. “Even if it’s helfpul to spinners, even in the previous series against Australia, we saw that it would seam, and the fast bowlers got wickets. Asitha Fernando got five in two matches. I think this pitch will be a bit more batting friendly than usual.”
Those comments sit neatly beside the selectors’ recent emphasis on pace. Asalanka confirmed that seam-bowling all-rounder Milan Rathnayake is likely to debut, while Asitha, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga are all in the squad. A packed fast-bowling cupboard is unusual for Sri Lanka; the captain wants the conditions to match.
Reverse swing experiment
This fixture is also the first in Sri Lanka under the new ODI regulation that scraps one of the two white balls after the 34th over. The surviving ball is chosen by the fielding captain, a tweak designed to encourage reverse swing.
“We’re also new to that rule, so we are still formulating our plans,” Asalanka said about the new playing condition. “It must be to favour fast bowlers that they brought this new rule to use one ball after 34 overs. It’s possible that we will have to treat two balls in two different ways before we decide which one we will use after the 34th. We’re hoping to land on the right plan from the first match.”
Expect Sri Lanka’s support staff to spend the powerplay monitoring scuffs as closely as run-rates. Asitha, who reverses the red ball in Tests, could benefit most if the white Kookaburra behaves late on.
Rankings rise, ambitions higher
Failure to reach the recent Champions Trophy stung the squad, yet irregular ODI scheduling means Sri Lanka are still fourth in the ICC standings. Asalanka accepts the ranking flatters and challenges his side to climb.
“We can’t be satisfied yet. I’ve said before that our main goal is to be in the top three. Right now we’re only in the top four. We’ve got one more rung to climb on that ladder, and then we have to think about where we go from there. We are confident about our past performances, but we think we have a long way to go forward.”
Balanced wickets key at home
Curators at Khettarama, Pallekele and Hambantota have traditionally leaned on spin, partly to mask a thin pace attack. The current regime wants pitches that mirror what Sri Lanka encounter abroad, hoping familiarity breeds results rather than complacency.
If the surface does provide true bounce early and a hint of reverse late, bat-versus-ball should stay compelling throughout. That would be a small but meaningful step towards the broader aim: making Sri Lanka competitive anywhere, not just at home.
First, though, they need to handle Bangladesh, who arrive with their own battery of seamers and fond memories of recent limited-overs success on the island. A lively track promises fewer excuses and, perhaps, clearer answers about where Sri Lanka’s ODI project stands.
