If 2017 has been extremely tough for Sri Lanka cricket, it can get tougher in the coming days when the island nation takes on world number one Test side India in the upcoming three-Test series. Their year began with two Test defeats in South Africa and was followed by a 5-0 whitewash in the ODI series. It was followed by the poor outing against Bangladesh at home where they failed to win the series at home and their miseries only piled up after the group stage exit at the Champions Trophy.
As if those results were not enough, they lost the ODI series against Zimbabwe at home before winning the one-off Test after being on the backfoot for the first four days. And while the ride is only going to get tougher in the coming days when the island nation takes on the formidable Indian side, Upul Tharanga, Sri Lankan vice-captain, is confident the team can do well. The left-handed batsman, on Thursday (July 19), reminded journalists of the 3-0 series win over a strong Australian side last year and added that the underperforming team would seek inspiration from that series win.
“Last year when we beat Australia 3-0 we were in a similar position like now. India is world’s number one ranked team now and we will take a lot of inspiration from that series win. We have nothing to lose,” said Tharanga, who attended the series launch in the absence of captain Dinesh Chandimal who was down with the flu.
And while the Australia team looked totally clueless in Sri Lanka last year, it gave India a run for their money in this year’s Border-Gavaskar series. Steve Smith & Co. had surprised the hosts by winning the first Test before Virat Kohli & Co. won two of the remaining three Tests to win the series 2-1.
Speaking about it, Kohli said: “Australia is a strong side and they came to India and gave us a strong fight as well. You can’t compare different stages of cricket being played at different times. You can only look forward to the games that you have to play and prepare the best way you can.”
Sri Lanka have the firepower to cause an upset. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has been in good form and Kohli is well aware of the threats possessed by him. When India toured Sri Lanka in 2015, the spinner had taken seven wickets in the first Test that Sri Lanka won but India negated his threat in the next two games to win the series 2-1.
“If you don’t find solutions to a bowler like Herath, he will do what he did at Galle. That’s what counts, as professional cricketers, you have to be a step ahead of what you are going to expect, and find ways to counter it. That’s what international sport is all about – how you can stay one step ahead of the opposition and find out solutions if something bad happens,” noted Kohli.