Sachithra Senanayake may have hoped to play an important role in the limited-overs leg of Sri Lanka’s tour of Bangladesh’s spin-friendly climes, but he was probably not expecting to do so with the bat. Three days after supporting Thisara Perera’s fight-back and hitting a four off the last ball to take Sri Lanka to victory in the second Twenty20 International in Chittagong, Senanayake was back at it on Monday, scoring 30 valuable runs and holding up one end while Perera tortured the opposition bowlers once more to take Sri Lanka to 180 in the first ODI in Dhaka after they had fallen to 67-8.
One could be forgiven for thinking he was beginning to make a habit of such heroics, coming off another last-ball four to hand Sri Lanka victory in the second ODI against Pakistan in December.
‘I think I’m so lucky to have [been in those situations] because when I’m in to bat I always have to score runs for the team, off the last ball, the last two, three balls, I have to score four or three runs,’ Senanayake said at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday, ‘It’s not pressure for me.’
‘The thing is we should handle the pressure, and I guess the pitches are really nice so we can bat. If I get a chance, my mission is to bat through.’
He credited batting coach Marvan Atapattu’s approach with the bowlers for the success of the Sri Lankan tail-enders as of late.
‘In the practices we are doing the same things – basic things – especially with Marvan Atapattu, our batting coach. He wants us to bat every day – the bowlers – so I think because of that the bowlers are batting well.’
Senanayake also said that his participation in the Dhaka Premier League last year had helped him and his teammates adjust to the pitches in Bangladesh.
‘In Bangladesh, all pitches are slow. We have to [make] adjustments.’
‘[The DPL] was good for me. Lots of Sri Lankan players came and played here, and because of that we know that the pitches are a bit slow and we could adjust to these things.’
The spinner was also unconcerned about the batting line-up in the wake of its collapse in the first ODI, noting that it was just one game.
‘We had a real issue with our batting, but I don’t think we could have changed the team. It was the first game, so I think our batsmen will do something in the next game.’
‘We all know Sangakkara is the world’s number one batsman, so he will come through in the next two games, I know. Dilshan also, the best all-rounder, I guess, he will do something in the next two matches.’
-With New Age input
