In the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2022, Namibia started off on a high note as they defeated the Asian Champions Sri Lanka by 55 runs, on Sunday, October 16. The Gerhard Erasmus-led Namibia posted a target of 164-runs after being put to bat first and continued the momentum throughout the game as the bowlers dished out Sri Lanka for just 108 runs during their chase.
The loss against Namibia has thrown a wrench in the plans for Dasun Shanaka's team, who were the clear favorites to advance from Group A and make way into the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022. Sri Lanka will have added pressure, as they now need to win the remaining two matches in order to keep their Super 12 hopes alive.
After the conclusion of the first game, skipper Dasun Shanaka attended a press conference and expressed his disappointment, as he said:
“The way we played is the worry. I think they (seam bowlers) tried too much. We didn't execute our plans well. I think we went for the yorkers and we didn't execute with low full tosses and half volleys. I think that's where it went wrong. I think if they had stuck to that hard length, wicket-to-wicket, like the Namibian bowlers did really, really well, it should have been different.”
The plan should be simple, not to do anything special: Shanaka
The injury to left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka has caused Shanaka, who guided Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup win, serious issues. The Lankan team's 2022 campaign appears bleak as they were underwhelming in the 2021 tournament, which obliged them to compete in the qualification (group stage) in the first place. The team is yet again faced with the possibility of being eliminated early from the competition.
“I think the surface played really well but the execution was not there when it comes to the bowling. We're concerned whether our bowlers bowled in the right areas as compared to the Namibian bowlers. We also wanted the first three batters to continue in the first play, so losing three wickets in the first powerplay put us out of the game. [Next game] the plan should be simple, not to do anything special. It's about process. When chasing 160 you need good partnerships at the top and numbers three and four to kick in. The bowlers especially they need to hit their areas,” he added.
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