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• Sammy focusing on positives despite T20I series loss to Sri Lanka- “We sent a strong message”

  West Indies Men’s white ball head coach Daren Sammy is focusing on the positives after his team’s 2-1 T20I series loss to Sri Lanka in Dambulla.

  After a dominant win in the first T20I on Sunday on a pitch typical for Dambulla, suitable for batting, the pitches for the second and third T20Is were much more conducive to spin bowling, a strength of the hosts.

  The statistics reflected that, with 15 out of the 18 West Indian wickets to fall in the last two encounters being to Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers.

  While eventually noting the need of his players to be better able to adapt to the change in conditions, Sammy looked at the fact that Sri Lanka had to make that big of an adjustment in their favor after one game as a plus for his side.

  “We sent a strong message. We started a series one way with a squad looking to see the depth and the home side had to change the whole set up to make sure that their spinners got the advantage,” Sammy said in a press conference after the third game on Thursday.

  “Ideally, yes, our men did not respond well to the spin, however, with the mindset that we have in our team being a championship winning team, we must be able to play in different conditions,” he added.

  For Sammy, the changes to the pitch in the last two games felt like a win for his side in the long run.

  “For us to see the last two games, the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad and they had to react to that,” he said.

  “I told the guys yes, when the World Cup comes, we won’t get these conditions. ICC will make sure the pitches are good. It was a moral victory for us,” Sammy added.

  Sammy went further, noting how Sri Lankan pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara didn’t get an opportunity to bowl on good pitches in the last two games will hurt them in the long run.

  “When you have pacers like that not getting an opportunity to bowl on good wickets when the true test comes, that’s where you really test your team,” he said.

  “We as a group know Sri Lanka has never beaten us in a T20I series and with the manner in which they had to do over here in Sri Lanka, we’ll take that but there is need for much improvement in the way our guys play spin when there’s a challenge,” he added.

  Both teams will now turn their attention to the three ODIs in Pallekele beginning on Sunday, October 20.

   

   

   

   

• Crushed: Windies suffer nine-wicket defeat as Sri Lanka secure 2-1 series win

  West Indies' hopes of securing another T20 International series victory went up in smokes, as they suffered a nine-wicket loss to Sri Lanka cruised in the decisive contest of the three-match series in Dambulla on Thursday.

  It was another clinical performance from the hosts, who secured a 2-1 series triumph –their fifth home series win and third consecutive series victory of the year. They won the second contest by 73 runs on Tuesday, after West Indies won the series opener by five wickets.

  After choosing to bat first, West Indies battled their way to a respectable total of 162-8, but their effort proved insufficient against a well-organized Sri Lankan side, which had everything going their way on the day.

  Despite a competitive total, the Caribbean team’s bowling attack faltered under pressure, and some misfortune in the field compounded their struggles, as Sri Lanka raced to 166-1 with two overs to spare.

  Scores: West Indies 162-8 (20 overs); Sri Lanka 166-1 (18 overs)

  West Indies innings got off to a horrible start as they lost Evin Lewis to a one-ball duck in the first over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana. Brandon King (23) and Shai Hope (18) tried to repair the damage with a 37-run second wicket stand.

  But just when they found rhythm, King got over ambitious and also had his stumps rattled by Theekshana. That resulted in a mini collapse, as Roston Chase (8), Hope, and Sherfane Rutherford (six), followed in quick succession, with the score at 62-5 at the top of the 12th over.

  However, captain Rovman Powell, who topscored with 37, and Gudakesh Motie (32) went on the counter with a 54-run sixth wicket partnership that gradually rattled the Sri Lankans. Both players struck three maximums and a solitary four.

  Again, just as they found a decent tempo, the partnership was broken when Motie was stumped off Wanindu Hasaranga.

  Powell fought on before he holed out to Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the deep off seamer Matheesha Pathirana. Romario Shepherd’s 18-run cameo saw the Caribbean side past the 160 mark.

  Theekshana (2-19) and Hasaranga (2-24) got most wickets for Sri Lanka.

  West Indies total seemed very much defendable on a turning pitch, especially as they failed to chase down a similar target in the second game. Add to that the fact that they brought in Fabian Allen as a third spinner to try to make the most of the spin-friendly conditions.

  However, it was not to be, as Sri Lanka made light work of the target. Kudal Mendis, 68 not out, and Kusal Perera, 55 not out, got the job done, after Pathum Nissanka (39) and the former battered West Indies into submission with a 60-run stand in the Powerplay.

  Mendis struck three sixes and five fours in his 50-ball knock, while Perera used 36 balls and struck seven boundaries. Nissanki also had seven boundaries and a solitary six.

  Motie got the lone wicket.

  Powell in a post-game interview felt they had enough runs on the board, but were undone by a superlative run-chase.

  “We had enough runs. If at the start of the game, if you said we would get 160 on a turning wicket, we would have taken it. But credit to Sri Lanka. Had we controlled the Powerplay better as a bowling group, we would have made a game of it. Giving away 60-70 in the Powerplay, it is always tough to come back. Sri Lankan spinners completely out-bowled our spinners, and we knew it would be a showdown of the spinners, about who bowled better and who batted better,” Powell said in his assessment.

  “Still a lot of positives when you come to Sri Lanka and push them. My guys gave good efforts; our fast bowlers gave good efforts on these tracks. As a batting group, our guys showed we can play against spin. Want to say thanks to the people of Sri Lanka. They have been very nice to us as a touring time,” he added.

  Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka, was full of praise for his team’s performance.

  “Secret was the top order batters batted really well and they gave their best shot. We played good cricket (even against India) and we just needed a bit of momentum and we did that in the second game. I wasn’t concerned about losing the toss much, but when they scored more than 160, I was a bit (concerned). But I knew if our top order batted well, we could do well, so I am really happy and good to win the series,” Asalanka said.

• England have 'belief' in second Test chances, says Collingwood

  England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said his side have belief in overhauling Pakistan's 297-run lead to claim the second Test in Multan. 

  England ended the third day of the second Test at 36-2 after losing the early wickets of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in their second innings. 

  Should the tourists pull off the chase, it would be their joint third-highest in an overseas Test and the best by any visiting team in Pakistan.

  Having broken a number of records in the first Test, Collingwood insists that anything is possible with this current group of players. 

  "We’ll still have that belief," said Collingwood. "We know it’s going to be tough and we’ve got to be realistic, but we’ll find ways to put them under pressure."

  Asked if a win in this match would be better than the first-Test victory, Collingwood said: "It would, under the circumstances and conditions we’ve been given this time.

  "There’s still hope, and there’s only hope because of the amazing things these guys have done in the past."

  Salman Agha, meanwhile, pledged that Pakistan will put every effort into securing a first home Test win in "God knows how many years". 

  Agha top-scored for Pakistan in their second innings with 63, though he was fortunate to reach that total, having been dropped twice during the 52nd over. 

  He also showered praise on Sajid Khan, who ended with figures of 7-111 in the first innings before claiming the early wicket of Duckett on Thursday.

  "To be honest, I was thinking, 'It is going to be hard,'" Salman told Sky Sports.

  "There was a lot of changes - and big changes. But the way the team has gelled, and the way the new guys have come in and we've welcomed them [has been great]. They come in and they are chipping in.

  "Look at Sajid. He took seven wickets and scored important runs, and then you will see Noman Ali.

  "He came and took wickets, and scored important runs. I think it's very good for Pakistan cricket, the way they came and gelled in and contributed. That's amazing."

  Pakistan have not won a home Test match since they beat South Africa in February 2021, with four draws and seven defeats since then, losing all six Test matches this year.

  Salman said that ending those streaks would be "very important" and that Pakistan are aiming to right their wrongs from recent years. 

  "It's going to be massive, because we haven't won a Test match at home for… I don't know, God knows how many years now," he said.

  "It's going to be a very, very big thing for us. We will make sure we will put all the effort there and make sure we win this game, because that's very important for us."