PREVIEW
Stop Harry Brooks, the challenge Sri Lanka faces in final T20I
By Srian Obeyesekere
Stop Harry Brooks, by large must be Sri Lanka’s bowlers mission if they are to salvage a consolation win in today’s third and final T20 international of a series already clinched by England’s two straight emphatic triumphs at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
Badly beaten by a highly rampant English side superior in both the batting and bowling departments despite Sri Lanka’s challengingly compatible 189 for 5 in the second game, the presence of Harry Brooks has been a center piece has been the main actor to England’s dictates by his out of this world explosive nature of strok-play that has snuffed out the Lankans.
Described as ‘calmly destructive, the 26-year old Brook, is known to have broken into the big stage with a magical flair as England’s heir apparent to take over the reins from Ben Stokes, already installed as the test vice captain since debuting in the T20 format in 2022 versus the West Indies and aggregating 1064 runs with a highest of an unbeaten 81 from 38 appearances, has succeeded in instilling Head Coach Brendon McCullum’s explosive Bazball hit your way approach with a pedigree record unbeaten triple test hundred in 1990, second fastest after Virender Sehwag despite taking a dip in England’s recent 4-1 ashes debacle coming back on Sri Lanka’s prime bowlers, leg spin wizard Wanindu Hasaranga not spared by the left-hander’s killer approach in downsising Dasun Shanaka and company.
Indeed, Sri Lanka has its plate full of the mountainous approaching an all important ICC 10th Edition T20 World Cup that kicks off from Sri Lanka, co-hosts to India in as few as three days hence on February 7, as Lankan Captain Dasun Shanaka will carry the odds on bleeding courtesy Brook’s and his charges to living up to his stated optimism of ‘I want to win the world cup for Sri Lanka’ when the reinstalled from the vanquished of losing the job over 4 years ago, donned the new Sri Lankan jersey few weeks ago at its official launch.
With the series gone, this game of academic interest will however, be thus important for the Lankans to head to the world cup with a victory against high riding England.
On that note, Sri Lanka’s heartening plus point has been the revelation of young 24-year old right-hand batsman Pavan Rathnayake who followed his near run a ball magical debut ODI century in coming on top of England’s strong area spinners to top scoring with 40 on recall in proving he was as equipped in the shortest format and disproving reasons for his omission from the lung opener that might have been detrimental to Sri Lanka’s cause.
