Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis couldn’t have asked for a better and complete performance from his teammates against the England cricket team at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Sri Lanka got the better of England by eight wickets and notched up their second win of this edition’s ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.
It is also Sri Lanka’s fifth straight win over England in the ICC World Cups. Lahiru Thirimana who stuck to his subtle bowling variations of line and length was adjudged the Player of the Match for his masterful bowling performance. He gave tough times to the England batters where he took wickets when it mattered the most.
Talking about the game, England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat first. The England batters completely lost the plot as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. They ended up falling prey to Sri Lanka’s bowlers and were bowled out for a paltry total of 156 (33.2 overs).
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Kusal Mendis heaps praise on Lahiru Kumara
In reply to England’s target, Sri Lanka chased down the target successfully without any fuss. Sri Lanka aced the run-chase in 25.4 overs and won the game by eight wickets. After the game, the Sri Lankan captain disclosed the main bowler in Sri Lanka, who is none other than Lahiru Kumara.
“Kumara did well today. He’s the main fast bowler in Sri Lanka. Bowled 140-145 speeds. Very happy that he came back strong today,” the skipper spoke highly of Lahiru Kumara who took 3/45 in 7 overs. He took the prized wickets of Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler.
“Playing a team like England, I’m very happy to perform this way. I’ve worked hard on my bowling. The plan was to attack the middle overs with disciplined bowling, and we were rewarded with wickets,” Lahiru Kumara said after receiving the Player of the Match award.
