Sri Lanka’s ODI resurgence gathered steam this week as they put World Champions Australia to the sword, sealing a 2-0 series win at the R. Premadasa Stadium and climbing to the No. 5 spot in the ICC ODI rankings.
For over a decade, the team had been loitering in the lower half of the table, but back-to-back wins over the world’s top-ranked India last year and No. 2-ranked Australia this year have catapulted them up the ladder. It has been a long, hard grind to get here, and staying there will be an even tougher proposition.
The 174-run thrashing in the second ODI was Sri Lanka’s biggest win over the Aussies and one of their opponent’s worst-ever defeats. It was a clinical performance, a masterclass in domination, with several key factors standing out.
During the Test series, Sri Lanka looked like a deer caught in the headlights once the Aussies got going. They were sloppy on the field, poor with their reviews, and lacked a leader to call the shots. But in the ODIs, Charith Asalanka flipped the script. He led from the front, exuded confidence, and his proactive approach rubbed off on the team. The fielders backed up the bowlers, and the energy levels were a far cry from the listless Test outfit.
The first ODI seemed like an extension of the Test series when Sri Lanka’s batting crumbled yet again. At 55 for five, the scoreboard was a sorry sight and an early finish looked inevitable. But in walked Charith Asalanka, and what followed was a captain’s knock for the ages. Whether setting up totals or chasing down targets, Asalanka has been at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s resurgence. His consistency earned him ICC recognition last month when he was named captain of the 2024 ODI Team of the Year.
Farming the strike with the tail, calculating risks, and picking his battles wisely, Asalanka batted with the poise of a seasoned campaigner. He knew exactly whom to target and how to do it – when he went after the bowlers, there were no half-measures. Every big hit cleared the ropes comfortably, and his 127, the highest score of his career, was the perfect counterpunch as Australia circled in for the kill.
Sri Lanka could only muster 214, but Asalanka wasn’t done yet – he marshaled his troops brilliantly in the field.
Alex Carey, a thorn in Sri Lanka’s flesh throughout the Test series, looked set to take the game deep again. Sensing the danger, Asalanka summoned his trump card, Wanindu Hasaranga. But instead of a magic over, Hasaranga served up a buffet of full tosses and half-volleys, allowing Carey to cash in with 15 runs in that over. Many captains would have given their premier spinner an encouraging pat and another go, but Asalanka had other ideas. He ignored Hasaranga for the next over, sending a clear message. The leggie got the hint, pulled his socks up, and from thereon, was a different beast altogether. There’s an art to handling star players and Asalanka seems to have mastered it.
The second ODI was a statement performance. Kusal Mendis cracked a sublime hundred, and his partnership with Asalanka propelled Sri Lanka past 280 – always going to be a match-winning score on a sluggish RPS track. The Aussie batters looked like fish out of water against Sri Lanka’s spin trio, folded for a mere 107 – their lowest-ever total in Asia.
Nishan Madushka, drafted in for Avishka Fernando, made the most of his opportunity with a half-century. But when you’ve been waiting in the wings for a long time, fifties don’t cut it—you need to make it count with a match-winning hundred. Unfortunately, Madushka threw it away, falling to a short ball he could have easily left alone.
The series laid bare Australia’s spin frailties. If the Galle Test had turned like RPS, the series result could have been different. This raises an important question – should some of Sri Lanka’s ODI match-winners be considered for Test cricket? Asalanka, for one, should certainly be in the reckoning for the upcoming Test series in June.
Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis had forgettable outings, struggling since the South Africa series. But cricket is a game of ebbs and flows—not everyone will fire at the same time. Those who get starts must make them count.
Eshan Malinga looks a solid find. While he didn’t rack up wickets, he bowled with good pace and consistently troubled the batters. Asitha Fernando, however, made an immediate impact in the second ODI, bagging three wickets with the new ball. He is proving to be a genuine match-winner.
Sri Lanka’s spin arsenal – Wellalage, Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana – is shaping up into a potent trio, capable of tying down any opposition in spin-friendly conditions. With Asalanka chipping in with his part-time off-breaks, this attack has plenty of variety.
The only missing piece in Sri Lanka’s puzzle is a lower middle-order finisher who can provide the final flourish. They have tried multiple options, but none have quite nailed down the role. If they can find someone to deliver those big blows at the death, this Sri Lankan outfit will be a force to be reckoned with.
For now, they have sent a clear message to the cricketing world – Sri Lanka are back, and they are making ODI cricket fun to watch again.
