All eyes will be on Kusal Mendis when Sri Lanka takes on Bangladesh in what’s expected to be a high-scoring series decider.
After a string of exciting but short-lived innings, including his blistering 50 in the last match, the pressure is on him to finally convert one of those great starts into a big, match-winning score.
Batting coach Thilina Kandamby believes the time is right.
“He gave us a cracking start in the first game and is an experienced player. He’s played a lot of cricket,” Kandamby said during the pre-match briefing. “He has to understand that now, and he needs to convert those starts into hundreds.”
Kandamby didn’t hesitate to spell out what’s at stake.
“If he scores a hundred, we win 90 to 95 percent of our games. He knows that too,” he added.
Mendis has shown signs of consistent rhythm. He scored 84 off 87 in the second Test against Bangladesh, followed by 45 off 43 in the opening ODI. Then came his explosive half-century in Khettarama, the fastest ever on that ground.
But the team wants more than speed.
“When you are in such good form, it’s a crime to throw away your wicket,” Kandamby said. “He could have easily gone on to score 150 to 200 runs in the first match. We chatted about how to rotate the strike and other crucial aspects of batting.”
ALSO READ: Bangladesh Eyes Historic Series Win in Sri Lanka After ODI Ranking Boost
Sri Lanka’s strategy may find further support from the pitch conditions.
The coaching staff is expecting a flatter surface in Pallekele, one that could allow their top order to play with freedom. Captain Charith Asalanka had hoped for similar conditions in Khettarama, but those surfaces turned out to be less favorable for batters.
“Pallekele looks good for batting,” Kandamby said. “I think there will be good bounce as well.”
Looking at the ground’s recent track record, the team sees reasons to be optimistic.
“If you analyse the last few games at Pallekele, we had batting-friendly tracks, and there’s been a lot of runs scored here in the past year. I hope that continues,” Kandamby said.
Both teams will be eyeing a strong finish in the third ODI. For Sri Lanka, the question is whether their key batter can finally convert starts into something big.
And if the conditions go as expected, that chance could be right there for the taking.
