Sri Lanka all-rounder Jeevan Mendis believes his team will be better off for the lessons they learned in today’s opening ODI against New Zealand.
The Sri Lankans will be back at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval in just over a month’s time when they take on the Black Caps in the opening game of the World Cup on February 14.
Mendis felt Sri Lanka could have got up to a defendable total of 240, if they had not lost three wickets in an over to Mitchell McClenaghan late in their innings.
After being 155-5 with 10 overs to go batting first, Mendis did a solid job, teaming up with centurion Mahela Jayawardene to put on 45 for the sixth wicket.
Mendis hit a 23-run cameo off 25 balls, but once he departed Sri Lanka lost a flurry of wickets in the final overs.
Several of the Sri Lankan ODI squad did not play in the test series against New Zealand, so today’s match was their first proper look at the Hagley Oval wicket.
Mendis said it had provided them with some insight heading into the World Cup opener. They will also know what to expect from New Zealand wickets for the remainder of the seven-match ODI series.
“The positive thing is we adapted to the conditions. We now know for the next game, the wicket was a bit spongy when we started, but we thought if we got 240 it would be a good game.”
“It will take time to adapt to these wickets. We’re playing a seven game series so it will help us a lot.”
Sri Lankan quick Lasith Malinga, who will miss the start of the ODI series as he recovers from ankle surgery, could be a handful on the Hagley deck come the World Cup.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum again destroyed the Sri Lankan bowlers at Hagley, hitting a rapid fire 51 off 22 balls.
Mendis said McCullum’s aggressive batting style might also prove his downfall.
“That’s the best thing about Brendon, he goes for it all the time, he goes for the bowlers. That’s his game. We have to make a plan for the next game.”
All-rounder Corey Anderson, who steered New Zealand to a three-wicket win with 81 from 96 balls, said it was a tough pitch to bat on at the start of his innings.
“It’s a strange wicket, because it still does have carry, it does hold. When you start getting wickets that hold or stay low, that’s when it does play into the sub-continent teams hands.
“That wicket is one of the ones, where once you’re in and you’re seeing it well, you’ve got to carry it on as long as you can.”
Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the performance of offspinner Sachithra Senanayake, who removed key New Zealand batsmen Kane Williamson and McCullum and finished with 2-43 from 10 overs.
“He’s just a very good bowler. He hits the lengths and on that wicket, it sticks and a couple of times it hit my gloves,” Anderson said.
“Things like that always play in the back of your mind. You don’t want to come down and you don’t want to play an attacking shot, in case it does spin off the wicket.”
The Sri Lankan spinners were effective at Hagley with Tillakaratne Dilshan also picking up two wickets.
