KINGSTON, June 13 (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka will be fighting to keep the series alive when they take on West Indies in the second T20 International at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday, with the hosts aiming to seal the three-match series with one game to spare.
After a disappointing defeat in the opening match, Sri Lanka are under pressure to bounce back quickly. The visitors struggled with the bat despite a flying start from captain Kusal Mendis, as a middle-order collapse exposed their lack of batting depth and allowed West Indies to take control.
Sri Lanka’s recent ODI series triumph in the Caribbean has quickly faded into the background as the T20 series has highlighted the gap in power-hitting between the two teams. West Indies’ top order attacked from the outset in the first match, while Sri Lanka managed only six sixes, five of them coming from Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis.
The tourists have now lost five consecutive T20 Internationals and need a much stronger all-round display to avoid conceding the series before Sunday’s final game.
West Indies captain Shai Hope will be encouraged by the performance of his side, particularly their pace attack. Experienced all-rounder Jason Holder led the charge with impressive figures of 3 for 18 in the opening match, breaking the backbone of Sri Lanka’s batting order.
Holder is expected to play another key role on a Sabina Park surface that continues to offer bounce and assistance for seam bowlers. The home side is likely to retain the same winning combination after their convincing performance in the series opener.
For Sri Lanka, Kamindu Mendis remains a major source of hope after his fighting 51 from 39 balls in the first game. His ability to handle both pace and spin makes him a crucial figure in the middle order.
The Sri Lankan selectors could consider bringing in all-rounder Dunith Wellalage to strengthen the batting line-up and add another spin option. Such a move may provide better balance after the top-order collapse in the opening encounter.
The pitch is expected to be slightly slower than the one used in the first match, which could bring Sri Lanka’s spin trio of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and possibly Wellalage more into the contest.
Hasaranga will also be chasing a personal milestone. The leg-spinner has already taken 18 T20I wickets against West Indies and needs only three more to move joint-third on the all-time list of wicket-takers against the Caribbean side.
While West Indies enter the match full of confidence, Sri Lanka know that only a victory will keep their hopes of winning the series alive.
