Four learnings for second-string Sri Lanka
Can they help Hasaranga achieve his world-class potential, and can they fix their soft middle order?
Wanindu Hasaranga has a T20I bowling strike rate of 13.20 after 20 innings • AFP/Getty Images
It's been a sharp rise either side of the pandemic for Wanindu Hasaranga. It was in the ODI series against West Indies in early 2020 that he really announced himself, before becoming the Lanka Premier League's player of the tournament late in the year. Now, 20 innings into his T20I career, he's risen to second on the bowling rankings, and was easily the best bowler of the series. If Yuzvendra Chahal had been available for all three games, that contest might have been interesting, but in any case, Hasaranga now has an economy rate of less than seven against every team he's played against apart from Australia.
Since emerging in 2015, Dushmantha Chameera has gone through tough phases. He's had stress fractures and other injuries that have kept him out of the game for months. Every time he seemed to be making a comeback, another injury would set him back. Now, for the first time in his international career, he's had some serious continuity. He played each of the three ODIs against Bangladesh in May, in all six matches against England (though Sri Lanka didn't have to bowl in the last ODI), and now all six games in this India series. He's not had a bad game right through that stretch.
Even in the days of Kumar Sangakkkara, TM Dilshan, and Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka's middle order was not especially strong. Now, with Angelo Mathews also out of the side, there is a particular flimsiness to it. In this series, this has been exaggerated by Dasun Shanaka's lack of form with the bat. But then he's never been a consistent batter. Sri Lanka have hoped to make a batter out of Hasaranga, but you suspect that for now, bowling is his focus, and you can't expect big innings, particularly when the top order fails.
Thisara Perera retired early, Angelo Mathews isn't being picked, and the Durham bio-bubble trio got themselves suspended, but the player Sri Lanka missed the most was Kusal Perera.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf