Have Sri Lanka turned a corner or found comfort in old habits?

The T20I leg of India's tour of Sri Lanka was almost characterised by some self-sabotaging play from the hosts at times. But in the ODI series, Sri Lanka displayed a tactical nous and clarity that helped maximise their strengths and secure a first bilateral series win over their neighbours since 1997.

The visitors were missing a couple of key players, but on paper were still very close to a full-strength ODI outfit. The question that may then arise is, is this a genuine change for the better in Sri Lankan cricket, or just a flash in the pan?

Was this win...normal for Sri Lanka?

Coming close on the heels of a historic Women's Asia Cup trophy, this series win has capped off a joyous few weeks in Sri Lankan cricket.

But the fact remains that this must only be a stepping stone. Yes, Sri Lanka have seen off a particularly troublesome opponent during their own difficult phase but apart from that, this series win is more or less par for the course for them in recent times.

Read more: Six takeaways from India's ODI series defeat against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have won 10 of their last 11 home bilateral series, stretching back to 2019. Their only loss in that time came against India in 2021. Two of these series were against Zimbabwe, where they were likely to have been clear favourites even in neutral conditions. But every other one saw them go up against stronger or at least roughly equally-matched sides. Given this context, that is an outstanding record.

But in the same time frame, Sri Lanka's record away from home has been terrible. In the 10 series they have played since 2019, they have won just one – a two-match series against Scotland in which the first game was washed out. On seven occasions they have returned without winning a single match on tour.

At home in the last five years, only India and England among Test nations can claim to have been just as good over as many matches, as Sri Lanka. Away from home, the only Test team that can say they have been worse, over a roughly similar number of matches, is Zimbabwe.

These are the facts of the case, as it were. And this away record is what separates this Sri Lankan side from some of its best ones in the 2000s and early 2010s. Those teams were similarly dominant on familiar territory, but found ways to more or less maintain a 50-50 split between winning and losing on their travels.

Closing this particular gap is what will help Sri Lanka improve on the whole.

Did Sri Lanka show signs of improvement against India?

In order to see whether Sri Lanka have indicated progression as a unit, it is best to start with the foundation of their victory here. But unfortunately, this doesn't give us much of an insight. With injuries decimating their pace attack, Sri Lanka packed their team with spin, prepared helpful wickets and had some luck with their tosses. 

Read more: Why India lost the Sri Lanka ODI series, and why they shouldn't worry

Spin bowling has long been the cornerstone of Sri Lanka's success at home, so this is not new. There isn't much to learn about their pacers either, seeing as only two were deployed throughout the entire series.

So then, to the batting. There is no doubt that the current Lankan crop is a notch or two below the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, TM Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. But in Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando, they have a bright pair of openers who are capable of accumulating runs, and going up through the gears when required.

 

Rohit Sharma has dismissed the claims of complacency following India's ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka.

Read here ➡️ https://t.co/nXc1uPwt54 pic.twitter.com/RpoBKZvB6U

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 7, 2024

 

However, the middle-order is still brittle, and lacks genuine power. Dunith Wellalage and Kamindu Mendis displayed excellent game awareness down the order when they got their chances, but partly excelled because of how quickly those above them fell. In addition, with low-scoring matches the norm due to the nature of the wickets, it suited their game of waiting for opportunities to pick gaps, and run hard.

This lack of quick run-scorers through the order, with the potential exception of Kusal Mendis, means Sri Lanka are still heavily dependent on their openers away from home. In addition, on better batting tracks, their opponents will more often than not be able to virtually out-bat them.

All in all, there has not been much on display during this series to indicate that Sri Lanka's longer-term issues away from home are likely to get better. Their pace stock remains impressive between the likes of Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana, and this should help them to an extent. But the bottom line is victories on wickets like these do not help Sri Lanka learn much more about their side.

All this being said, it is still a hugely significant victory for interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya and his team. Whether he stays on in the role remains to be seen, but for a team in need of a lift, winning against an opposition like India can prove to be huge psychologically. If his tenure is seen as a fresh start for Sri Lanka, then the first step towards getting better is to ensure dominance at home first.

As a part of some of Sri Lanka's greatest teams, this is something Jayasuriya will be intimately familiar with. It has only been over the last few years that the side has begun to re-establish their superiority on home soil after a slide towards the end of the last decade. After consistency on that front, comes the gradual adaptation and improvement in alien conditions.   

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