South Africa vs Sri Lanka 5th ODI, preview and predictions: Proteas eye back-to-back 5-0 whitewashes
SA vs SL 5th ODI, preview: Proteas eye back-to-back 5-0 whitewashes
Sri Lanka and hosts South Africa lock horns for one final time on the tour, when they face-off in the fifth One-Day International (ODI) at Centurion on Friday. South Africa have already taken an unassailable 4-0 lead and will be eyeing series whitewash in this game. A win in this match will ensure that the AB de Villiers-led side goes to the No. 1 position in the ODI rankings. Sri Lanka on the other hand will do everything they can to ensure that does not happen. Sri Lanka put up a formidable fight in the fourth ODI at Cape Town, when they gave the Proteas a run for their money after they were set a 368-run target. Full Cricket Scorecard: South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI at Centurion
Upul Tharanga led from the front as he scored a 90-ball 119 to ensure Sri Lanka got close to their target. He and Niroshan Dickwella started attacking the South African bowlers right from the first over. When they were batting, it seemed like Sri Lanka could get over the line at one point. But South Africa kept picking wickets at regular intervals after that and ensured they recorded a 40-run win. They have now won 10 consecutive ODIs and have also extended their home record to 13 continuous ODI wins. They also whitewashed Australia 5-0 in their previous ODI series. A win in this match will hand them back-to-back 5-0 whitewashes.
Although Sri Lanka showed tremendous improvement in their batting in the previous match, they still have problems in their middle-order. The likes of Dhananjaya de Silva or even Kusal Mendis have not been consistent, although Mendis has been one of Sri Lanka’s best players on the tour, which does not say much about the team. Dinesh Chandimal was dropped in the previous match as he had scored just one fifty on the entire tour. Sri Lanka could welcome back their experienced campaigner for this match.
It is highly unlikely that South Africa will go in with two spinners at Centurion. It is said to be conducive for the quicker bowlers and Tabraiz Shamsi may have to make way for Andile Phehlukwayo in the XI. If South Africa need to add more depth in their batting, they have the option of including all-rounder Chris Morris too in place of Shamsi.
Lahiru Kumara went for over 10 runs in his 7 overs in the previous match. Sri Lanka might be temped to bring Suranga lakmal back into their XI in his place. But if Sri Lanka want to boost their bowling attack further, they might be tempted to get in Lakmal in place of Lakshan Sandakan, giving them depth in the fast bowling department. If they do that, Sachith Pathirana will be their only frontline spinner, with de Silva or Asela Gunaratne chipping in with a few overs in between.
It was heartening to see Sri Lanka persist with newbie Sandun Weerakkody in the series. He repaid the team management’s faith by scoring a breezy fifty in the previous game, which kept Sri Lanka in the game right till the end. His form eases some pressure on the under-fire Sri Lankan middle-order.
Another 300-plus score could be on the cards in the final game. We can expect some thunderstorms in the afternoon, which could play a part in delaying the game a bit. South Africa and Sri Lanka have played just twice at SuperSport Park. Both teams are tied at a win apiece. But it was Sri Lanka, who won the previous encounter way back in 2009, when the two teams met in the group stages of the Champions Trophy. Nuwan Kulasekara is the lone survivor from that game for Sri Lanka. South Africa have Hashim Amla, de Villiers, JP Duminy and Wayne Parnell from that game in 2009.
With the series already lost, Sri Lanka will look to avoid a whitewash and get themselves on the board for the series. South Africa have been nothing short of dominant in this series. A win and a 5-0 whitewash will be perfect to round off South Africa’s home season, who embark tough tours of New Zealand and England after this.
Squads:
South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga (c), Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Chaturanga de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Asela Gunaratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Madushanka, Kusal Mendis, Sachith Pathirana, Lakshan Sandakan, Sandun Weerakkody, Lahiru Kumara, Vikum Sanjaya, Jeffrey Vandersay
TIME: 13.30 Local | 17.00 IST | 11.30 GMT