Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game. To be successful in Test cricket a team needs to sustain the pressure until the final ball. In recent times the national cricket team has struggled for consistency in the longest format.
Leading in to the Test series in the Caribbean, their form in the format has been dismal after they had been whitewashed by South Africa and England comprehensively. So the pressure was mounting on Dimuth Karunaratne and his men to prove that they are capable to be competitive against Kraigg Brathwaite’s brigade.
When the Lankan Lions were bundled out for 169 on the first day, cricket experts were anticipating another whitewash for the depleted Lankans, who didn’t have the services of some senior batsmen including former captain Angelo Mathews, who opted out from the tour due to a personal reason.
Analysing Sri Lanka’s performances in the recent past, it is clearly observed that they take time to acclimatise to the conditions and they have also struggled to adjust their game plans according to the format. As a consequence, they have struggled to be competitive against formidable oppositions.
This series was played between two teams, who were fighting out to be completive at Test level and both teams wanted to test out some youngsters to get a glimpse of the future. Especially the hosts had a relatively inexperienced squad for the Test series. Despite being inexperienced they had fond memories of beating Bangladesh in the Asian subcontinent…