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In an impressive display of batting and bowling prowess, Sri Lanka's cricket team started their Men's ODI World Cup qualifiers campaign with a resounding 175-run triumph over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday. Led by a strong top-order performance and an exceptional six-wicket haul from leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, the 1996 champions made a statement with their dominant victory.
Batting first after being asked to bat by the UAE, Sri Lanka amassed a formidable total of 355/6. The top four batters, Pathum Nissanka (57), Dimuth Karunaratne (52), Sadeera Samarawickrama (73), and Kusal Mendis (78), made significant contributions to the team's score. The late onslaught from Charith Asalanka (48 not out) and Wanindu Hasaranga (23 not out) further bolstered Sri Lanka's total, making it the highest first-innings score of the tournament so far.
Defending their mammoth total, Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga proved to be the star of the match. The talented leg-spinner accounted for three of UAE's top five batters and finished with impressive figures of 6-24. Hasaranga's outstanding performance not only secured a convincing victory for Sri Lanka but also earned him the distinction of recording the third-best bowling figures by any Sri Lankan bowler in ODI history. Additionally, he reached the milestone of 50 wickets in the format.
The conditions offered some movement for the pacers, but Sri Lanka's opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne showcased his solid technique and ease in gathering boundaries. Nissanka, though initially struggling, found his rhythm and accelerated with consecutive boundaries off Muhammad Jawadullah. The partnership between Nissanka and Karunaratne set a strong foundation for Sri Lanka, which was further built upon by Kusal Mendis, who played a classy innings of 78 runs off just 63 balls. Samarawickrama also contributed with a valuable knock of 73 runs, and the team reached a comfortable position at 133/1 by the halfway stage of their innings.
Despite the dismissals of Mendis and Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka's momentum was revived by Charith Asalanka's explosive innings, who scored an unbeaten 48 off just 23 balls. Asalanka's boundary spree, coupled with Hasaranga's late flourish, powered Sri Lanka's total above the 350-run mark.
In their chase, UAE started steadily until Lahiru Kumara showcased his all-round abilities with a smart caught and bowled dismissal to remove opener Rohan Mustafa for 12. Hasaranga then took control of the match, removing Muhammad Waseem (39), Basil Hameed (0), and Asif Khan (8) in quick succession. With Dhananjaya de Silva trapping Vriitya Aravind lbw, Rameez Shahzad (26) and Ali Naseer (34) offered some resistance. However, Maheesh Theekshana's wicket and Hasaranga's back-to-back strikes resulted in UAE losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs.
Sri Lanka's comprehensive victory sets a strong foundation for their Men's ODI World Cup qualifiers campaign and showcases their ability to dominate opponents in the tournament. The team's top-order batters and the exceptional performance by Wanindu Hasaranga have undoubtedly placed Sri Lanka as one of the front-runners in the qualifying stage.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 355/6 in 50 overs (Kusal Mendis 78, Sadeera Samarawickrama 73, Ali Naseer 2-44) beat UAE 180 all out in 39 overs (Muhammad Waseem 39, Vriitya Aravind 39, Wanindu Hasaranga 6-24) by 175 runs