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Opinion
They came, they saw, and realised the mountain was too high to conquer.
Sri Lanka’s aspirations to gain some solace from a lost series against Australia hit an expected low as they struggled against a rampant World Cup champion sans their best pace attack to reveal why they have plenty to do before the upcoming World Cup in this part of the world.
It’s funny but most experts would have predicted a closer game knowing that Australia wasn’t at full strength as they focused on resting some stars for the upcoming Pakistan tour.
But the depth of Australian cricket was in full evidence as the second stringers emphasised to the visitors that they are still not up to the standard to challenge the best in the world.
Australia’s second-string attack raised awareness that in Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa they have a lethal combination that can trouble the best batsmen in spin-friendly conditions.
Funnily it was a sub-continental team struggling against spin in bouncier Australian conditions, and Sri Lanka, who are in need of an astute coach, have got to focus on a remedy to what has been a strength among their former heroes.
Four down and an irrelevant dead rubber to go, the Lions return home with lessons learnt and a game plan as to their best exponents in Australian conditions when they return for the World Cup.
Australia have dominated at home in this series but have received a stern warning that a low par and relatively inexperienced Sri Lanka troubled them in the first two games before gaining the ascendency.
Sri Lanka for their part can reflect on a series that could have been more competitive if some of their stars were not struck down by COVID-19.
They have proved that in the foreseeable future they will be a team to be reckoned with. Some of the young guns on tour such as Pathum Nissanka, skipper Dasun Shanaka, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasarsnga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, and Lahiru Kumara have proved to be world-class and the nucleus of a world-beating side.
The key for them right now is to rope in a coach that can extract the best from these talented lads to mould them into a winning combination.
The months ahead will reveal their true potential.
Right now they have proved against all predictions that they are no easy beats regardless of the looming clean sweep by the Australians.
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