A strong first innings performance is crucial in cricket, because a single run has the potential to influence the course of the match. “First-innings runs are what’s crucial to victory,” veteran batter De Silva said in a clear and concise manner. Over the course of cricket’s history, innumerable players and commentators have reiterated a fundamental truth that is captured in this sentence.
Sri Lanka During The Series
The hitters are what matter most. Sri Lanka has emphasized throughout the series that their batting order is what is failing the team. After four innings, captain Dhananjaya de Silva has emphasized the significance of top order runs once more. After all, Sri Lanka has never approached 350 and none of their top seven players have reached triple figures. Sri Lanka was 72 for 5 in the first innings of the first Test match. They were 83 for 5 in the first innings of the second Test.
Although Sri Lanka has put up a strong fight and may have played well above their weight, their batting has faltered at key points in the series. The fact that Kamindu Mendis is the only visitor batter to reach the three-figure mark and that no other player has scored more than 200 runs in the series are both telling statistics. The biggest letdown for the visitors has been veteran Angelo Mathews, considering his toughness and experience. Although the bowling has made an effort to mask the batting inadequacies, runs scored is just as important to set up games as taking 20 wickets to win a Test match.
De Silva: First Innings Runs are Crucial
Sri Lanka was 72 for 5 in the first innings of the first Test match. They were 83 for 5 in the first innings of the second Test. This is where de Silva thinks they were defeated.
“Our batters have to score runs, and that’s the biggest issue we’ve had, ” he said. “Those who got starts didn’t turn them into hundreds and 150s. If you look at Joe Root on their side, he’s consistently made runs and it’s around him that others made runs. That’s what someone on our side needs to do as well, so we can get to 300 or 350. First-innings runs are what’s crucial to victory.”
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
