By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka Skipper, Charith Asalanka, who has emerged as the titan in lifting Sri Lanka from a literal shipwreck in wearing the big captaincy mantle from a disarray of lost image and captaincy failures of a flagging long time man in the job Dasun Shanaka replaced by all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who quit it as quickly as he had worn it, will carry its 1-0 Test series hammering against Bangladesh on the back of the slap bang two-ton herculean lambasting’s by the in-form opening batsman Pathum, Nissanka to going for a total hammering going into the 3-match ODI series today at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium at 2.30 p.m. with Nissanka expected to carry the salvo forward to such a hounding with Skipper Charith Asalanka, who voiced yesterday that Sri Lanka was likely to go with three seamers, all out to rise Sri Lanka’s ODI rankings to No. 3 from the current 4 about which he is not all happy, in drawing from the high of defeating high riding Australia in the last home series in February this year to go with home series successes that started by thrashing high riding India in a winning sequence against West Indies, New Zealand as well with just an away loss to the Black Caps in raising the former 1995-96 world champion image from a declining stigma that rock bottomed by failure to qualify for the Champions Trophy.
He has succeeded in setting the tone by some exhilarating showpiece match winning knocks exemplified by a run a ball 126 Player of the Match euphoria versus Australia in February.

“I’m not happy with our No. 4 ranking, and getting up there among the top 3 is our main goal. So our immediate task is to work hard to getting to 3 until which I’m not content. There is a long way to go in that direction and therefore defeating Bangladesh is our immediate priority towards that goal with the idea being to come to the ultimate No.1 position,” voiced the explosive Lankan skipper at yesterday’s captain’s press conference.

By and large, the 28-year old Asalanka has emerged as the titan honing in a solid early leader grooming at youth level to having fine-tuned his batting from the moderate to a top gun blazing batsman of that left-handed genre to raising his hands at the middle of that wreck for his country to resurrecting Sri Lanka’s image in taming some of the big guns in the game such as Rohit Sharma’s much touted Virat Kohli muscled Indians in August 2024 to reigning world champions Australia.
He was optimistic that Sri Lanka would pocket Bangladesh this series on a surface that looked batting friendly an helping the seamers early on to progressively taking turn.

As to the prospect of handling pressure, Asalanka said, “As any team we are not put under pressure. Whichever team we play we have our own plan and basics. As before we expect to go with a batting all-rounder and a combination of four bowlers.
He said that the injury sidelined quick Milan Rathnayake during the test series would in all probability play today if cleared with Dushmantha Chameera as cover up.

Meanwhile, young Nishan Madushka, who featured in Sri Lanka’s triumphant team against Australia on February 14 this year replacing Avishka Fernando, is strongly in the running to make the eleven today with the toss up between him and Fernando.

Meanwhile, the onus will be on Bangladesh which has skidded on uneven ground from six bad defeats from 11 outings to a captaincy void following the quitting of Najmul Hossain Shanto with Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking over in a setback of the retirement of several seniors.
Sri Lanka does go out strong favourites on a head to head 42 wins to Bangladesh’s 13 from 57 exchanges.

Sri Lanka Squad

Charith Asalanka (capt), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga.

Bangladesh Squad

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud.