The West Indies were stunned by Sri Lanka during the second T20 International of their ongoing tour, losing by 73 runs on Tuesday at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. With this victory, Sri Lanka leveled the three-match series at 1-1.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a strong start in the powerplay, amassing 52 runs in the six-over period.
The West Indies bowling attack was initially successful, restricting the hosts to just 8 runs in the first three overs, but they then conceded 44 runs in the remaining overs of the fielding restrictions.
A 77-run partnership between Sri Lanka’s prolific T20I opening pair, Pathum Nissanka (50) and Kusal Mendis (26), followed. This partnership was eventually broken by Shamar Springer, and the West Indies responded well with the ball in the subsequent overs.
While the pace bowlers claimed the majority of the wickets, the spinners played a crucial role for the West Indies.
On a turning surface, Gudakesh Motie and Roston Chase bowled economically, conceding only 37 runs between them in their combined eight overs. Sri Lanka finished their innings at a competitive 162 for 5 after 20 overs.
The West Indian batsmen, even moreso than their Sri Lankan counterparts, struggled to adapt to the surface early on. By the end of the powerplay, the Men in Maroon were 21 for 3, struggling against the host’s spin attack.
Things only got worse, with spin accounting for all but one wicket as the team was bowled out for just 89, their fourth-lowest total in T20I cricket.
Debutant Dunith Wellalage was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 3-9. Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Charith Asalanka grabbed two each.
Captain Rovman Powell noted that the surface was tough to play on and was not conducive to the T20 game, stating:
“At the halfway stage we were confident we could get 160. But it wasn’t really a cricket wicket. It wasn’t a T20 wicket. But they used their conditions well. T20 cricket is about matchups now, and I tried to bowl my left-arm spinners to their right-handers. If we think about the third match as a final, we always back West Indies to win the finals.”
With the series now finely balanced ahead of the final match on Friday, Head Coach Daren Sammy and his team will be hoping to deliver a much-improved performance.
PHOTO credit: ICC
