Follow UsPlayer of the Match for his stunning assault of 93 (72), Sadeera Samarawickrama said that, the patience shown by the duo of Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis was what laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s thumping victory over Bangladesh in the second match of the Super Fours stage of Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo on Saturday.
Samarawickrama ended the match with a strike rate of 129.17 but, between them, Mendis and Nissanka scored 90 off 133 balls, batting at a combined SR under 70.00. There were initially fears that the pair were going ‘too slow’ for the team’s liking, but in the aftermath of the game, Samarawickrama said that Mendis and Nissanka departing early would have spelt disaster for the Lankans.
"When Pathum and Kusal were batting, the pitch seemed a bit slow and they did really well," Samarawickrama said.
“If they had taken risks at that point and got out, maybe I would have got out cheaply too. But because they took the game a little deeper and gave us some momentum, I found it easier too.”
Samarawickrama said that Sri Lanka were helped by the fact that they eyed 250, which he claimed felt like a par score. The right-hander revealed that both his and the side’s overall plan was to take the game as deep as possible, and then take the attack to Bangladesh towards the end. The same reflected in the 28-year-old’s innings progression as after being 39 (40) at the end of the 40th over, he smashed 54 off 32 balls in the final ten overs.
"When I saw the pitch, we talked about how this wasn't a 320 pitch - it's a 250 surface. Even that you just have to get in the last eight overs or so. If we had gone too hard early, we might have been out for 220. So what I tried to do after getting a start was to get the team to 250."
On the day, Bangladesh were stumped by Samarawickrama’s tendency to give himself room and flay the ball through the off-side. The region between point and third man, in particular, was targeted constantly by the right-hander, who collected 34 runs off that region alone, off just 22 balls.
Post match, he revealed that striking boundaries by giving himself room is something he mastered during the Lanka Premier League last year.
“Moving around the crease is something that I started in the LPL last year - playing with the bowler's mind and figuring out how to put pressure on him," Samarawickrama said.
"However the pitch plays, I have to back my strengths, one of which is to back away and hit. It's something I learned with a lot of hard work, so I back myself to do that."
The victory on Saturday extended Sri Lanka’s winning streak in ODIs to a staggering 13. Only one team in history (Australia 21) has won more ODIs consecutively.
Samarawickrama credited Sri Lanka’s ability to ‘play as a team’ for the side’s success.
"When you play as a team, your own performances are lifted," Samarawickrama said. "If we had lost, my performance today wouldn't be highlighted either. If the top order isn't doing well, the middle order gets it done. If the middle order can't do it, the top order has scored runs. We're playing as a team."
Sri Lanka's next Super Four encounter is against India on Tuesday, September 12th.