Follow UsSri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka rued his side’s inability to maximize their explosive start with the bat and claimed that, on the day, they were at least 20-25 runs short of a par score.
Winning the toss and batting first, Sri Lanka were 229/3 after 30 overs and looked set for a 400+ score. However, they faltered in the last 20 overs and eventually finished with just 344. Shanaka’s side could only add 61 runs in the last 10 overs for the loss of 5 wickets.
The total eventually proved not enough as Pakistan scripted the highest chase in World Cup history to romp home with 10 balls to spare.
“We should have finished a bit stronger than what we did,” Shanaka said post the defeat.
“We were 20-25 runs short on this wicket. Credit to Pakistan, they were bowling really good slower balls.”
That Sri Lanka got off to an explosive start, and ended up posting a total close to 350 was down to centurions Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108). The pair shared a 111-run stand in rapid time and had the Pakistan bowlers at their mercy when they were together.
Shanaka was full of praise for the duo.
“Mendis is in another zone, played an unbelievable knock in the practice game, scored 70+ in the first game and a brilliant hundred here. More to come. Sadeera is playing really well,” the Sri Lanka skipper said.
Shanaka said that he could not blame his inexperienced bowlers too much but did assert that he was disappointed with the lack of discipline. On the night, the Lankan bowlers conceded an eye-watering 26 extras, 25 of them gifted through wides. Matheesha Pathirana (9-0-90-1) was once again guilty of being way too erratic.
“I can't ask too much from the bowlers. We have given them simple plans,” Shanaka said.
“We need to be concerned about the extras as well. We gave too many extras. We had our chances in the field as well, we missed a lot today.”
The defeat means that the Lankans have begun their 2023 World Cup campaign with back-to-back defeats. They sit 8th on the table as a result.
Sri Lanka have five days off before their next encounter against Australia in Lucknow on Monday, October 16th.