Sri Lanka struggled with the bat against South Africa in their first group stage match in the 2024 T20 World Cup on Monday, June 3, at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York. The Wanindu Hasaranga-led team was bowled out for 77 runs after electing to bat first, their lowest score in the format.
Sri Lanka were uncomfortable on the tough batting surface from the start, but they also failed to appraise the situation and adjust properly. South Africa took advantage of the circumstances, and their formidable bowling unit prevented the opposition from gaining momentum or a base on which to develop.
The subcontinent team scored only 24 runs in the powerplay and was left with only 40 runs on the board at the midway point of the innings. Only three hitters reached double digits, with only six boundaries in total.
Fans were unable to understand what they were seeing and chastised Sri Lanka’s batsmen for their poor performance. Here are some of the responses on social media:
“Batting first when they have no idea of what the pitch is gonna offer with such a thin batting line up is beyond imagination,” one tweet read
“Just swinging like morons anytime you get under pressure,” one fan remarked.
“Srilanka is batting even worse than an associate nation,” another tweet read.
Sri Lanka have an uphill task in the second innings
Sri Lanka’s strength is undoubtedly their bowling squad, and the wicket is hardly suited to batting. However, the set goal appears to be way below average, at least on paper, and the bowlers will need to provide a historic performance to make the Proteas work hard throughout the run chase.
“Glad for him. The way the guys handled things was phenomenal. The way Aiden marshalled the troops was exceptional. There is some movement for seamers, but if you apply yourself,” Ottneil Baartman said during the innings break.
Kusal Mendis emerged as Sri Lankas top run scorer hitting 19 runs albeit after facing 30 deliveries. Anrich Nortje stole the limelight as the standout performer among the South African bowlers boasting an impressive record of 4/7 while the rest of the bowling attack also delivered stellar performances.