Sri Lanka eye ODI series win at Premadasa Stadium against India

On Jul 16, 2021

Sri Lanka will look to kick-start their three-match One Day International (ODI) series against India on a winning note when the two teams clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.

The Premadasa Stadium, formerly known as Khettarama, has produced some fantastic results to the home side in this format over the years and once again the odds favour the islanders.

In fact, Sri Lanka will take the field with a great amount of confidence after having won their last five outings at this venue since 2018. Their latest success in an ODI series was recorded at this venue in July, 2019 when they swept aside Bangladesh in a three-match series under the captaincy of opener Dimuth Karunaratne.

Sri Lanka won the first match by 91 runs on the back of a splendid century from Man-of-the-Match and wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Janith Perera. Sri Lanka piled up a massive 314 for eight and then bowled out Bangladesh for 223 with Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep claiming three wickets each.

The hosts went on to seal the series by winning the second ODI by seven wickets, thanks to a sparkling 82 from dashing opening batsman Avishka Fernando who was later named Man-of-the-Match.

Sri Lanka completed another 3-0 ODI sweep over Bangladesh by recording a more convincing 122-run triumph in the third and final encounter. This time the match winner was Angelo Mathews, who hit a fighting 87 from 90 deliveries to lift his team to a commanding 294 for eight.

Bangladesh found that total too much to chase once again as they collapsed to 172 in 36 overs following an excellent spell of bowling from all-rounder Dasun Shanaka. Before this ODI series against Bangladesh, the Lankans also had the better of South Africa and England on two occasions, while keeping their excellent track record at the Premadasa Stadium.

Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Angelo Mathews hammered South Africa by a massive 178 runs in the fifth and final ODI of the series in August, 2018. Mathews led from the front with an unbeaten run-a-ball 97 but it was spinner Akila Dananjaya who really turned things around for the home side with a magnificent six-wicket haul after he had opened the bowling.

This win also helped Sri Lanka to conclude the ODI series in style despite losing the rubber 2-3 to the South Africans. Thereafter, Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Dinesh Chandimal outplayed England by 219 runs in the fifth and final ODI at the Premadasa Stadium in October, 2018. This success had a lot of significance as it helped Sri Lanka to redeem their lost prestige after having conceded the ODI series 1-3 to their opponents.

In this game, Sri Lanka ended up by compiling the second highest total at this venue as they scored 366 for six on the back of four half centuries from Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis. Sri Lanka have also produced 18 centurions at this venue and the highest individual score belongs to Kumar Sangakkara who made a splendid 169 from 137 deliveries against South Africa in July, 2013.

The Sri Lankan bowlers have also had a great amount of success at the Premadasa Stadium with Angelo Mathews heading the list for his remarkable six wickets for 20 against India in September, 2009.