Mystery spin, penetrative pacers, and solid openers - Sri Lanka could be a problem at the ODI World Cup

The World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe represented a potential banana skin for Sri Lanka. If the Islanders were to come through that tournament unscathed, well, that was what was always expected of them. A failure to do so, though, would have been a significant dent in their cricketing history.

As it turned out, all of these conversations were rendered moot. Sri Lanka went unbeaten through the tournament and capped off their campaign with a resounding 128-run win over the Netherlands – another team that booked their place at the ODI World Cup in India later this year.

As Sri Lanka were always expected to win the entire thing, let alone qualify, there might be a temptation to sweep their achievement under the carpet. Look closely, though, and there was plenty of evidence during the qualifiers to make those awaiting them at the World Cup wary.

The Islanders’ batting has been volatile in the past few years. On some days, they look like the most flamboyant and elegant batting bunch on the planet, only to collapse on another occasion in the most innocuous of circumstances.

To address that, they brought back their Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who has since adapted to ODI cricket beautifully and has formed a stellar partnership at the top with Pathum Nissanka.

Both batters are similar, for they rely on cricketing strokes rather than being funky. The most important bit, though, is that both have techniques that can stave off potential new-ball threats.

They were put into bat first a few times in Zimbabwe, which was easily the tougher gig considering the 9 am start. And Sri Lanka held their own, with both of their openers laying solid foundations. In India, where the new ball has a tendency to swing early, that could be key and it could help Sri Lanka maximize their batting strength.

Speaking of batting strength, no talk is complete without mentioning Kusal Mendis – a mercurial cricketer who can appear to be world-class one day and not so great the other. In this setup, the onus has been taken away from him a touch, with Karunaratne and Nissanka setting the tone at the top and stroke-makers below Mendis.

The wicketkeeper, thus, almost has a free role. He can consolidate (if he wants), attack from the first ball, or just milk the spinners before capitalizing on loose balls. So far, it seems that that change in tack is bringing out the best in him.

A barren run is never too far away when talking about Mendis. But in this environment, those might not be as detrimental to Sri Lanka as they might have been had he been opening.

The rest of the batting line-up, comprising the likes of Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Sadeera Samarawickrama have also shown that they can hold their own and play a variety of roles.

There is a slight question mark over captain Dasun Shanaka’s form but he seems to have galvanized this team and has all of his players pulling in the same direction.

Of course, it would help if the Sri Lankan skipper is scoring more runs but for his leadership traits alone, he should stay on as captain, at least until the World Cup.

The batting, thus, looks in decent shape, even if it has not quite attained world-class levels yet. That, though, is fine, largely because that still remains Sri Lanka’s inferior suit.

The Islanders have always been blessed with bowlers boasting quirky actions and unorthodox styles. This team is no different. Matheesha Pathirana, who has already drawn comparisons to Lasith Malinga, is a very tricky customer to handle, even if he has not quite found his feet yet in the ODI arena.

Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara, while more conventional, can also break open the game with their pace and zip off the surface. Keeping them fit has appeared an arduous task so far but if Sri Lanka can get them fit and firing for the World Cup, they could be very tough to tackle, especially if pitches keep low and skid through.

Their pace-bowling trump card, however, could be Dilshan Madushanka. He burst onto the scene during last year’s Asia Cup and after his own tryst with injuries, seems set to deliver on his initial promise.

The final against the Netherlands was a perfect case in point. He got the ball to curve in devilishly to the right-handers and has a knack for picking wickets with the new ball.

No team likes a left-arm pacer tearing in at them, especially because of the mayhem they can cause, and the Sri Lankan side seems to be ticking this box too, provided Madushanka can remain fit.

Sri Lanka's spinners were brilliant in Zimbabwe

Now, to their spin twins Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Neither had a world-beating IPL season in 2023 but both seem to have grown from that experience. There seems to be a lesser urge on both spinners’ part to go hunting for wickets. Rather, they have been content with keeping the ball in the right areas and have allowed their variations to take over.

Because both are effectively mystery spinners and rely on deception from the hand and in the air, they could be useful even on pitches that might not be labeled conducive to spin.

And if they come in to bowl with runs on the board and with their fast bowlers having made early inroads, they become even more penetrative. In fact, that is what happened for much of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

Whenever Sri Lanka batted first, they put enough runs on the board to put the opposition under pressure. When they bowled first, their pacers utilized the conditions, made early breakthroughs, and set the stage for their spinners to dominate.

Spin, of course, is the lynchpin of whatever good Sri Lanka have been doing. The only difference, though, from say a few months ago, is that they now seem to have many more different match-winning avenues.

Chameera, Kumara, Madushanka, and Pathirana can run through a batting unit too, while their own batters can bat the opposition out of the game.

These elements did not exist the last time Sri Lanka were on Indian shores playing an ODI series. And that is primarily why the Islanders could be a problem for numerous teams in the World Cup. Yes, they might not be as consistent as some of the others but in terms of talent and pure match-winning ability, they are not very far behind.

Interestingly enough, Shanaka, post the final against the Netherlands, spoke openly about how Sri Lanka wanted to show that they are much better than to feature in qualifying tournaments for the World Cup. They certainly did that in Zimbabwe.

Now, it is time to carry that over to the big time and illustrate that they can compete for the prize that really matters. And based on how this team is seemingly clicking into gear, they must surely believe that they have enough to make a massive splash at the World Cup.