Wet ball, conditions contribute to West Indies' defeat against Sri Lanka in 1st ODI
Oct 21, 2024
Pallekele [Sri Lanka], October 21 : West Indies have struggled to deal with the constant challenge of dealing with wet surfaces and conditions throughout their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
After West Indies endured a 2-1 T20I series defeat in Dambulla, head coach Daren Sammy claimed that it was a "moral victory" for the Caribbean side. His remark possibly suggested that Sri Lanka were inclined to produce spin tracks for the second and third matches.
Coming to the first ODI, the West Indies side once again turned up to bowl on a wet surface, and the weather rubbed salts on their fresh wounds.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, the weather turned their fortunes by conspiring against them. The rain entered the fray in the 39th over and affected their chances of completing the quest for victory.
The intervention lasted long enough, which ensured that Sri Lanka bowlers, who enjoyed the opportunity to thrive on a dry surface, didn't have to toil hard in wet conditions.
The West Indies had to deal with a slippery ball, which hampered their chances of staging a victory in the ODI series opener.
This was a factor that even Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka pointed out, stating that it certainly played its part in his side's success by 5 wickets (DLS method).
"I think more than 15 overs we got a chance with the wet ball, they couldn't grip the ball properly, and myself and Nishan did well," Asalanka said in the post-match presentation.
Sri Lanka's ODI debutant, Nishan Madushka, slammed 69 off 54 balls while forging a 137-run partnership with Asalanka, reiterating the skipper's stance.
"Their bowlers were really good, but because of the rain around, I think they had trouble gripping the ball. There was less turn on the wicket, to be honest. But they still bowled well," Madhushka noted.
When West Indies bowled with the new ball, which wasn't damp at that time, the visitors made early inroads with a sensational spell. Sri Lanka lost three wickets in the first three overs, making it a tricky affair right from the beginning.
But Madushka and Asalanka sent the ball into waterlogged areas, which changed the ball's condition. With the remaining two ODIs also set to be played in Pallekele, the wet conditions could continue to play their part in determining the outcome. The second and third ODIs will be played on Wednesday and Saturday.
