Sri Lanka’s women knew the schedule long before they landed in Colombo: India first, Australia second. On paper that looks a brutal start, yet captain Chamari Athapaththu insists it is exactly what her group needs.
“Yes, we’re playing against the two best teams in the first two games, but that’s really good for us,” Athapaththu said on the eve of Saturday’s match against Australia. “Because then we have some games against teams – like South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan Bangladesh – that we have beaten during the last 12-15 months. So it’s good to start with best teams so that we can prepare well and learn from our mistakes and bounce back.”
Sri Lanka pushed India for long periods in the tournament opener before key moments slipped away. Errors under pressure – a mis-field here, a loose over there – proved costly. Athapaththu hopes those lessons will stick when her side meet the reigning world champions, who have not faced Sri Lanka in an ODI since 2019.
That gap matters. Between October 2019 and June 2022, Sri Lanka did not play a single 50-over international. Since then they have crammed in 31 ODIs and 61 T20Is, winning last year’s T20 Asia Cup, yet exposure to top-ranked opponents remains limited. Training camps and domestic matches have filled the recent four-month lull, but Athapaththu admits nothing replicates the intensity of facing Australia.
“Everyone knows the Australians are the best team and they have a very experienced side,” she said. “In 2019 we played a series against them and I scored a century in Brisbane. After that we never played against Australia because of Covid and some other various reasons. So we missed playing against Australia.
“We know we haven’t played international games during the past few months, but we played some domestic cricket. There are things that I cannot control as a captain but I’ll control my bat and ball. Our preparation is good, because we played some games against national youth teams.”
Australia’s tune-up has been smoother. They edged a competitive series in India last month and several squad members stayed on for the Women’s Premier League, giving them extra time on sub-continental pitches. The group arrived in Colombo on Thursday afternoon and, by all accounts, settled quickly.
“It’s been good, positive vibes,” said opener Phoebe Litchfield when asked about the team’s mood following their arrival. Litchfield’s brisk powerplay scoring could test Sri Lanka’s new-ball pair, while captain Alyssa Healy and all-rounder Ellyse Perry offer depth few sides can match. Add spin twins Alana King and Georgia Wareham, and the options multiply.
For Sri Lanka the challenge is two-fold: limit damage with the ball, then build partnerships with the bat. Athapaththu’s stroke-play can dominate attacks, but she needs support from Harshitha Samarawickrama and the middle order. Fielding, often an unglamorous metric, looms large; dropped chances against India shifted momentum in minutes.
Analyst Malinda Warnapura believes early wickets are essential. “If Australia are two-down inside the first 15, their blueprint changes,” he noted. “They still have depth, but they start thinking more about resource management than outright aggression.” That hinges on accurate lines from young seamer Kawya Kavindi and disciplined spin from Inoka Ranaweera.
Conditions in Colombo could calm Australia’s batting juggernaut. Afternoon humidity usually offers the ball some grip, and dew later on might ease chasing. Sri Lanka may consider batting second, banking on a settle-in period for their bowlers before night moisture flattens the surface.
The bigger picture, though, stretches beyond Saturday. Qualifying for the semi-finals remains realistic if Sri Lanka seize points against South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh – sides they have beaten in the past 15 months. Taking anything off Australia would be a bonus and a statement of genuine progress.
Athapaththu, always candid, sees it in incremental terms. Her view: face the best, measure the gap, adapt.
“So it’s good to start with best teams so that we can prepare well and learn from our mistakes and bounce back,” she reminded. A mantra, repeated, until it sticks.
Whether Sri Lanka bounce back immediately or further down the line, these early tests will reveal much about a side quietly amassing confidence, experience and, they hope, enough nous to upset the order later in the tournament.
