Watch cricket video highlights of West Indies tour of Sri Lanka 2024. Third one day international between Sri Lanka and West Indies. Venue of the match will be Pallekele.
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After a series in which they constantly failed to get the rub of the green, the stars aligned for the West Indies, who finished their tour to Sri Lanka with a morale-boosting victory. Evin Lewis, in his first ODI since 2021, hit an unbeaten 102 off 61 balls as the West Indies chased down a DLS-adjusted mark of 195 in a rain-shortened game of 23 overs with eight wickets remaining. In reality, they completed the necessary runs with an over to spare. It was their first ODI victory in Sri Lanka after ten consecutive failures, and their first win on this tour since the first T20I.
Sri Lanka, on their part, made a brave attempt after their innings had been reduced to less than half. Prior to the rain, they had bowled 17.2 overs, and when play resumed, they were allowed only 5.4 overs to achieve a competitive total. Enter Kusal Mendis, who bludgeoned an unbeaten 56 off 22 deliveries, including a half-century off 19 balls, as Sri Lanka scored 75 runs in the final 5.4 overs to finish on 156 for 3, giving them a fighting chance. However, the combination of a damp outfield, a wet ball, and a laser-focused Lewis were too much to overcome.
Brandon King (18 off 19 balls) and Shai Hope (22 off 27) kept Lewis company for the most of the chase, but it wasn’t until Sherfane Rutherford joined him in the middle that West Indies finally grabbed charge. Rutherford’s quick cameo saw him score 50 off 26 deliveries, including four fours and three sixes, while his combination with Lewis resulted in an undefeated 88 off 45 deliveries. It was a critical stand in the context of the game, coming just when Sri Lanka may have been planning a late robbery.
With the necessary run rate set at around 8.5 per over from the start, the West Indies did well to stay up with it during the first ten overs, scoring at least one boundary in seven of the first eleven. However, in such a short chase, even a handful of calm overs may increase the strain – as it proved. Between the 11th and 17th overs, Sri Lanka conceded only 40 runs as the needed rate increased to more than 11.50 runs per over. Skipper Charith Asalanka had done well during this period by shifting his pack to get in some cheap overs from himself and Kamindu Mendis.
Both of whom filled the fifth-bowler quota after Wanindu Hasaranga battled with wet ball control. Asalanka erred by bowling himself for one too many times, allowing Rutherford and Lewis to pursue him. That 14-run overset the tone, and the two never looked back. The miserly Maheesh Theekshana was bowled for 18 in the following over, while the brilliant Asitha Fernando was bowled for 26 in his last two. Dilshan Madushanka scored 50 runs in five ODIs, his first since March.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will draw positives from this game, notably in how aggressively they handled the post-rain session, knowing they didn’t have much time to assemble a competitive score. Sri Lanka made a controlled start in the first 17.2 overs, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando combining for 81. That, however, was largely due to the West Indies losing three opportunities – two from Nissanka and one from Avishka – within the first 10 overs.
This poor catching did not improve after the five-hour rain delay, as Kusal was dropped twice on his path to becoming Sri Lanka’s third-fastest hitter to reach 4000 ODI runs. It all started with the four balls remaining in Roston Chase’s second over, which Kusal clattered for boundaries – two exquisite pulls, one breathtaking straight drive, and finally a fortuitous inside edge down to fine leg. Sri Lanka hit 12 boundaries in their final 34 deliveries. The shortened game also had an impact on the West Indies’ bowling preparations.
Since the new rules required three bowlers to bowl five overs each, while the other two bowled four. When Chase’s over, in which Kusal hit four consecutive boundaries, was finally completed, and Sri Lanka was in a raucous mood, the West Indies were suddenly faced with the task of determining how Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, and Alzarri Joseph – who had bowled four, four, and three overs, respectively – would split the remains.
And, with Matthew Forde having already bowled five overs before to the rain break, only two more bowlers could deliver five, necessitating the addition of one more over. With Chase out on the restart of play, it was left to Rutherford to roll his arm over, and he was promptly taken for 17 runs, including two fours and a six. And when Kusal’s carefree innings proceeded in earnest, Sri Lanka was eventually able to manufacture a competitive total – but it was ultimately insufficient on the day.
