The picturesque island country of Sri Lanka came out victorious in the rain-curtailed first ODI against West Indies, chasing down a revised target of 232 runs in just 31.5 overs with 31 balls to spare. The stage is set for the exciting second ODI clash between these two teams on October 23 at the iconic Pallekele venue.
In the first ODI, West Indies won the toss and chose to bat first. The early wickets of Brandon King and Alick Athanaze by Wanindu Hasranga put pressure on the visitors. Skipper Shai Hope also fell quickly, leaving West Indies struggling at 54/3. However, a partnership between Sherfane Rutherford and Keacy Carty brought some stability to the innings. Rutherford’s sublime knock of 74* and Roston Chase’s quick-fire 33 propelled the visitors to 185/4 before rain interrupted play. Sri Lanka was set a revised target of 232 runs in 37 overs.
Facing a challenging target, Sri Lanka had a shaky start as Avishka Fernando fell early. But Nishan Madushka and Charith Asalanka turned the tide with a brilliant partnership of 137 runs off just 109 balls. Madushka scored 69 off 54 balls, while Asalanka contributed a valuable 77 runs before both departed. Kamindu Mendis and Janith Liyanage then guided Sri Lanka to a comfortable five-wicket victory with 31 balls to spare.
Looking ahead to the second ODI, the pitch in Pallekele has historically been good for batting, with chasing teams having an advantage. The threat of rain looms over the match, potentially affecting play. The captain who wins the toss may opt to chase to have a strategic advantage if the DLS method is brought into play.
The second ODI promises to be an exciting contest between Sri Lanka and West Indies, as both teams look to gain the upper hand in the series. Stay tuned for all the action on Wednesday at Pallekele.