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Rahane misses ton but Mumbai dominate, while Tamil Nadu could get lucky

Shashank Kishore31-Jan-2025Kohli’s short stay
It lasted all of 15 deliveries in which he made six. Virat Kohli was beaten twice outside off, once to a full delivery that left him late and then a length ball that he jabbed and missed.He brought out a delightful straight drive in the next over, but was out off the very next delivery when Himanshu Sangwan, a Railways ticket collector at New Delhi Railway Station during the off-season, sent his off stump cartwheeling. Soon, Sangwan became a reel sensation for a superb nip-backer that sneaked through Kohli’s big gap between bat and pad.A strong crowd of around 15,000 who made a beeline for the exit, missed a quality knock from Ayush Badoni. The captain’s 77-ball 99 helped Delhi open up a 93-run lead against Railways, with three first-innings wickets remaining.Pujara 99, Saurashtra on course
The stars have aligned perfectly for Saurashtra. They needed two outright with bonus points, both games were at home in Rajkot on turners; they beat Delhi last week inside three days with Ravindra Jadeja taking 12 wickets.Related

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Rahane, Pujara near tons; Tamil Nadu's season on the line

This week, they didn’t need Ravindra’s bowling because the other Jadeja (Dharmendrasinh), was among the wickets (four of them) as Assam were made to follow-on. That Saurashtra were in a position to enforce the follow-on was because of a solid batting performance in the first innings.Their 474 was set up by Cheteshwar Pujara, who was out for 99 early on day two having added four to his overnight score. Assam’s only source of resistance was Riyan Parag, who top-scored with 51 on his return to top-flight cricket from a shoulder injury.Kuldeep made to toil
Returning to competitive cricket after three months following a surgery for sports hernia, Kuldeep Yadav sent down 31 overs to pick up three wickets, but Uttar Pradesh were sent on a leather hunt. Double tons from Harsh Gawli and Shubham Sharma helped Madhya Pradesh post an imposting 670 for 7 declared. From a qualification standpoint, this game doesn’t hold much significance since with both teams are out of the knockouts race.Rahane 96 in mammoth Mumbai total
Ajinkya Rahane’s quest to convert his maiden first-class fifty this Ranji season into a century met disappointment as he was out for 96 against Meghalaya, but Mumbai opened up a 585-run lead.Meghalaya were 27 for 2 at stumps, giving Mumbai a sight of seven full points that will take them to 29 points and help them seal a quarter-final berth. Coming into the final round, they needed a favour from Jammu & Kashmir, and they’ve helped them along the way by pocketing not just a first-innings lead against Baroda but also opening up the possibility of an outright win.Jalaj continues to shine
Earlier this season, Jalaj Saxena – the Kerala allrounder – completed the double of 6000 first-class runs and 400 wickets. In the final round of matches, he picked up a five-for in each innings, both on Friday, as Kerala trounced Bihar by an innings to secure a quarter-final berth.Jalaj took his wickets tally in the tournament to 421, the seventh-best. This was the 10th time he picked up 10 wickets or more in a first-class game. Bihar lasted a combined 64.2 overs across both innings in which they made make 64 and 118 in response to Kerala’s 351 fuelled by Salman Nizar’s 150.TN stutter but knockouts chances burn bright
They need 97 and have only five wickets in hand against Jharkhand, but a scenario has emerged wherein Tamil Nadu can qualify for the knockouts despite a defeat. That’s because Chandigarh – who won three successive games outright in the first half – have now conceded the first-innings lead to Chhattisgarh in a game they needed to win with a bonus point. Tamil Nadu’s hopes of pulling off the chase are pinned on Vijay Shankar, who is unbeaten on 33.

Alex Carey continued his superb form and Liam Scott starred with bat and ball as South Australia rocketed to the top of the One-Day Cup table by smashing New South Wales by six wickets in their One-day Cup match.SA sit top of the table in the 50-over format after crushing last season’s beaten finalists at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. The result was set up by an accomplished performance in the field, rolling the visitors for just 197 after taking regular wickets during the 46 overs.It was a pair of former NSW players who did the bulk of the damage, with fast bowler Harry Conway collecting 3 for 27 from his 9.3 overs, and Jason Sangha picking up 2 for 16, including the key scalps of Nic Maddinson and Oliver Davies. Scott also picked up two wickets, claiming 2 for 31 off his eight overs.NSW’s best contributions came from middle-order batters, with Matthew Gilkes and captain Jack Edwards top-scoring with 35 each.In reply, SA ran into early trouble when Jack Nisbet took the wickets of Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew in consecutive balls as the hosts slumped to 8 for 2.But Carey continued his hot early-season form with the bat, smashing 75 from 63 balls to press his claim for a recall to Australia’s white-ball teams.Jake Lehmann (46 not out) and player-of-the-match Scott (42 not out to back up his two wickets) steered SA home, giving long-suffering supporters reason for optimism.As well as topping the One-Day table, SA are second in the Sheffield Shield after winning two and drawing one of their first three matches.The teams will have a day off before starting their Shield match back at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Nathan Sowter joins Amazon Warriors as a temporary replacement for Tahir

Deivarayan Muthu17-Sep-2024Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have been bolstered by the return of Chris Jordan, ahead of their CPL 2024 home leg, which kicks off on September 18. The Barbados-born England international had played five matches for TKR in 2019, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.05 in their run to the knockouts, where they had lost to eventual champions Barbados in qualifier 2.Jordan, 35, will replace USA fast bowler Ali Khan, who has been sidelined from the entire CPL 2024 with injury.In June earlier this year in Barbados, Jordan enjoyed a happy homecoming, becoming the first England men’s player to take a T20I hat-trick, in a T20 World Cup game against USA.As for Dwayne Bravo, he will play in front of his home crowd for the last time in the CPL. Bravo, who will turn 41 in October, will retire from the CPL after the ongoing season, but will continue to feature in other franchise T20 leagues.Related

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Injured Tahir out for ten days Defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors have suffered a major blow, with their captain Imran Tahir ruled out for around ten days with injury. Tahir, the oldest player in the CPL at 45, had also missed Amazon Warriors’ last game against Barbados Royals with injury. Shai Hope, who stood in as captain in that game in Bridgetown, will continue to lead the side in Tahir’s absence.Big-hitting allrounder Romario Shepherd is also working his way back from injury, having hurt his toe while training. Shepherd, who had played a key role in Amazon Warriors’ run to their maiden CPL title last season, has featured in just one game so far this season in North Sound, where he slammed 32 off 16 balls.Nathan Sowter has also featured in the ILT20 in the UAE•ILT20Amazon Warriors have brought in Nathan Sowter, the Australia-born English wristspinner, as a temporary replacement for Tahir. Born in Penrith, Sowter represented New South Wales at Under-23 level before joining Middlesex. Sowter rose to prominence in franchise cricket after winning back-to-back titles under Tom Moody at Oval Invincibles. Sowter also worked with Moody at Desert Vipers at the ILT20 2024, which was his first overseas T20 gig. Moody was so impressed with his agility in the field that he christened him ‘Racing Snake’.After their defeat to Royals, Hope admitted that they were missing Tahir, but backed the others to step up.”We’ve got to find ways to penetrate in the middle,” Hope said after the game. “I think we need to find ways to get wickets. Obviously, Imran Tahir is a big loss for us – he was one of our trump cards in the middle overs – but can’t look at that. We have got to work with what we have and find ways to get wickets. We understand the opposition [TKR] that we’re playing next and it’s important that we finish well in the death overs and take care of the batting after.”

Apart from hoping to play Test cricket more frequently going forward, Hashmatullah Shahidi wants “one good home venue” in India instead of going from place to place, as they currently cannot play international cricket back home in Afghanistan.Afghanistan will host New Zealand for a one-off Test starting on Monday in Greater Noida, near Delhi. Their other home Tests since becoming a Full Member have been in Dehradun, Lucknow and Abu Dhabi. Sticking with one home venue will make them a stronger and more effective team in red-ball cricket, Shahidi said.”If you see, India is our home and when we host teams, the other nations have played more cricket than us here,” Shahidi said while addressing the media the day before the Test. “So hopefully we will get one good venue here in India and we stick with that. If we stick with one venue, it will be more effective for us.Related

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“And one more thing, if you see our players, they have good record in first-class cricket because we play in our own grounds [in Afghanistan]. We know our own conditions very well. So hopefully that time comes in future that teams come to Afghanistan. Then our average will be even higher than what it is right now and hopefully our cricket board and BCCI give a good venue for us in India and we play a lot of cricket in one venue.”Afghanistan have played nine Tests in their six years at this level, and even though they are slotted to play 22 Tests in the current FTP – from 2023 to 2027 – only a handful are against the top sides. In the current FTP, Afghanistan have so far played against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland, and after the New Zealand game, have Tests scheduled against Zimbabwe (six), Ireland (three), India (one), Australia (one) and West Indies (one).”In six years, nine games is not, I cannot say it’s a lot,” Shahidi said. “If we get a lot more chances with the good teams, we will improve, and our cricket board is doing that job. Like with New Zealand, if you see their history of Test cricket and where they are in the rankings right now, it’s a good opportunity for us and hopefully our cricket board will try harder to give us opportunities against good teams in the future. I think if we get more chances on regular basis, we will improve a lot because if we see as a team and as a country, we are brave people and we always accept challenges.It all looked rather wet and forlorn the day before the Test in Greater Noida•Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfo

“If we get three- or four-match series in one time, I think it will be very good for us as a side. If you look at our past, we get one Test match and we start preparing for that ten days before. So it’s not easy to come to red-ball cricket. Playing matches will make us even better on judging the ball and playing good cricket in red-ball format, compared to playing in the nets. So if we play three-four games back to back I think it will be better.”Ranked 12th in the ICC Test rankings, Afghanistan are a force in the white-ball formats, ranked ninth in ODIs and tenth in T20Is. They took down teams like England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup last year and made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in June this year after beating New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh.”About Test cricket, 100% we want to improve,” Shahidi said. “We want to show to the world our best format is Test cricket. And I mentioned before that we accept all kinds of challenges, and I am telling the boys also that these opportunities are very big opportunities for us, each and every one to show our skill, to show our talent and make… if I am a batsman, make a big score, big runs. So your name will be among the big names in the future. So if you want that, this is the place and time to show. I think we have that ability to do it and need to show it.”At this stage, it’s not clear how much red-ball action Afghanistan will get from this Test as a weather threat looms over the game, with rain and moderate thunderstorms forecast for the coming week.

If you were to ask Arsenal fans what they need this summer, we’d hazard a guess that the majority would be crying out for a new striker and winger this summer.

However, while those fans certainly aren’t wrong, it does now look like the Gunners will need to further bolster their midfield as well.

We say this as Jorginho has already joined Flamengo, and contract talks with Thomas Partey are reportedly not advancing, so even though Martin Zubimendi’s transfer is all but wrapped up, the North Londoners should probably be looking to sign another central midfielder.

Fortunately, recent reports suggest that is going to happen, with Arsenal now linked to an exciting star compared to Chelsea’s incredible Moises Caicedo.

Arsenal looking to sign new midfielder

While the news concerning Partey’s negotiations is relatively recent, Arsenal have been linked with plenty of midfield options over the last few weeks and months, such as Andrey Santos and Adam Wharton.

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However, with the former now integrated into the Chelsea set-up and looking likely to make his competitive debut for the team at the Club World Cup, and the latter valued at up to £80m, neither feel like realistic targets.

Moreover, neither youngster has really been compared to the brilliant Caicedo, unlike Lucien Agoume.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are incredibly interested in the dynamic Sevilla star.

The story has revealed that the Gunners have already been in contact and held talks with the player’s representatives over the prospect of a transfer this summer.

Reportedly, the 22-year-old would be open to joining the club and can see a future for himself at the Emirates, and it might not cost the Gunners much at all, with other reports from Spain claiming he could be available for just £17m.

It might not be the most exciting of transfers, but Agoume looks set to be a star, and given the fact he’s already been compared to Caicedo, he’s a player Arsenal should be looking to bring in.

How Agoume compares to Caicedo

There are a plethora of reasons why Arsenal should be looking to sign Agoume this summer, but before we get to them, it’s crucial to examine this comparison to Caicedo and where it comes from.

Well, in this instance it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the then most comparable players for each one.

In this case, it was concluded that the Chelsea star has been the second most similar midfielder to the Sevilla star across the last 35 days.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.14

0.10

Progressive Passes

5.74

5.78

Progressive Carries

1.23

1.16

Shots on Target

0.09

0.08

Expected Assists

0.07

0.08

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.81

0.91

Shot-Creating Actions

2.55

2.63

Goal-Creating Actions

0.21

0.24

Tackles

2.98

3.06

Blocks

1.28

1.32

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, tackles, blocks, progressive carries and passes, shot and goal-creating actions and more, all per 90.

And then, on top of being statistically similar to one of the leading midfielders in the Premier League, the “10 out of 10 talent,” as he was dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also reasonably versatile.

So, while he does tend to thrive as a six, thanks to him being such a “good dueller,” per analyst Ben Mattinson, he could start in a more central role, and he’s even played in more offensive areas, which is where he can really leverage his impressive passing range.

Ultimately, while he’d likely be a backup option for at least a season or two, Agoume’s talent is undeniable, and therefore, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign him this summer before someone else gets there first.

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Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea have held talks with a former Man City ace in what is seen as a “big opportunity” for Enzo Maresca this summer, and the west Londoners hold a “concrete” interest in signing the player.

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Chelsea are looking to sign a centre-back, winger and striker as their main priorities, but depending on Champions League qualification and player sales, they could also go for a left-back, second centre-back, versatile attacking player and goalkeeper (Simon Phillips).

A place in Europe’s most prestigious competition will also have a far greater pull in the market when it comes to attracting their most desired targets, so their looming final Premier League clash of the season against Nottingham Forest is quite simply imperative.

A win at the City Ground would guarantee Chelsea a place in the Champions League draw next campaign, but anything less than that could spell disaster for both Maresca and Chelsea’s summer plans.

Given their participation in the Club World Cup next month, Chelsea reportedly want to take full advantage of the mini-transfer window, which opens from June 1 to June 10.

Therefore, it is little surprise we’re hearing rumours of talks being opened with top targets, and one of them is Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap.

The Englishman has scored 12 league goals for an otherwise dismal Ipswich Town side who will be playing in the Championship next season, with Delap standing out as a shining light for Kieran McKenna.

His contract also includes a £30 million release clause after Ipswich’s relegation, and previous reports suggest Chelsea have met with Delap’s representatives for talks this month, as they plan a formal move for the ex-City striker.

Fabrizio Romano shares what he's heard about Liam Delap to Chelsea

Speaking to CaughtOffside, the ever-reliable Romano has echoed these claims, stating that Chelsea and Delap have indeed held talks.

However, Man United have done the same thing, with both sides sensing a “big opportunity” to prise the 22-year-old away from Portman Road at a very astute price.

“A big opportunity on the market for a young striker like him,” said Romano.

“There is genuine interest from two very important clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United. Both clubs have several targets on their shortlist. Not only them, but for sure, the interest is concrete, the interest is genuine.

“Delap spoke to Chelsea, Delap spoke to Man United, now it is time for him to explore all the options possible.”

The homegrown centre-forward, barring his impressive goal record and performances in a team lacking overall quality, has been revered by his teammates this season.

“He’s phenomenal,” said Ipswich midfielder Jens Cajuste. “He’s a beast, totally and for a young player like him, it is very hard to say what he can be. I don’t think there’s a limit, really. It’s all upto him really, how far he wants to go, but he definitely has all the qualities.”

Liverpool have been in contact to sign a £40m star which has left Premier League rivals Arsenal worried.

Liverpool close in on Premier League title as Slot promises busy summer

The Reds took another big step to winning the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season in charge following a 2-1 victory over West Ham.

Arsenal’s draw against Brentford allowed Liverpool to move points clear at the top of the table, with Virgil van Dijk netting a late winner which means the Reds can now win the title this weekend.

The news before the game was all about Mohamed Salah’s new two-year Liverpool deal, and talking regarding the news, Slot appeared to hint at a busy transfer window to make the Reds “very strong next season”.

“We have all the confidence in him that he can produce two more years than he has produced in the past seven or eight years, because of the reasons I just gave you. But also because we will make this team very strong next season. Then it’s always nice to have someone that can make a goal.

“If you want to sign new players or players who want to extend here, it is always a positive to see one of our star players over the last seven or eight years has made the choice to extend his contract.

“It also shows maybe how ambitious this club is: not only Mo, but the owners. We are really ambitious to keep performing the way this club has performed for so many years.”

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Van Dijk is also expected to extend his Anfield stay with a new two-year deal of his own, and by the looks of it, Liverpool and FSG have moved for another Dutch defender.

Liverpool and FSG in contact to sign £40m Arsenal target Hato

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have been in contact over a move to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato. Thought to be valued at £40m amid links to the Reds, Liverpool have now acted on their interest, something which has caused concern at the Emirates.

The report adds that Arsenal have wanted Hato for a number of years and the news of Liverpool’s approach has ‘caused panic’ in north London.

Hato, who is 19 years of age, has been called “insane” in the media and can play as a left-back or centre-back. Already a senior Netherlands international, Hato is a product of the Ajax academy and has been a regular at first team level in recent seasons.

Games

106

Goals

4

Assists

9

Yellow cards

19

Minutes played

8,706

He’s featured mainly as a left-back in 2024/25 and has chipped in with a number of goal contributions with six assists and three goals. Now, a move to England could be on the cards for the teenager, and by the looks of it, Liverpool and Arsenal will do battle in the transfer market following their title race.

Nottingham Forest have now made contact over a deal for a midfielder who is expected to cost around £40m this summer, according to a report.

Forest set to strengthen in multiple areas

Despite losing their last two Premier League games, Forest are well-positioned to qualify for next season’s Champions League, given that they remain three points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea with just six games left to play.

The race is likely to go right down to the wire, but it is looking very likely the Tricky Trees will be playing European football of some description next season, which means Nuno may need to strengthen his squad in the summer transfer window.

Targets have been identified in multiple areas, having recently joined the race for Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, but a new striker appears to be of particular interest, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and AFC Bournemouth’s Evanilson among the options.

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There have also been suggestions Forest could look to bring in a new central midfielder, and they are believed to be very keen on AC Milan’s Yunus Musah, but the American is not their only target.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest have now made contact over Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, submitting an enquiry to discuss a potential summer deal, but there could be fierce competition for his signature.

Eight Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in Santos, who is valued at around £40m by the Blues, while there is also set to be competition from several unnamed European sides, which could make it very difficult to get a deal over the line.

Not only that, but the 20-year-old isn’t particularly keen on a move to the City Ground, given that his game time was very limited during his loan spell with the Tricky Trees last season.

Santos impressing on loan at Strasbourg

The Brazilian may have found game time hard to come by at Forest last season, but he has been seriously impressive on loan at Strasbourg, picking up nine goals and four assists in 27 Ligue 1 appearances this term.

Not only has the maestro impressed going forward, but he ranks highly on some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, indicating he is a well-rounded midfielder.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.32 (98th percentile)

Tackles

3.33 (96th percentile)

Clearances

2.06 (81st percentile)

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also been left seriously impressed by the Rio de Janeiro-born starlet in the past, lauding him as a “one-man war machine in midfield” after starring for Brazil U20 against Peru.

Santos has proven he deserves another chance in the Premier League, but it seems pretty unlikely the youngster would be willing to move back to the City Ground, given that his previous spell didn’t go to plan.

Royal Challengers blasted their highest powerplay total, after having consigned Titans to their worst showing in the phase

Sampath Bandarupalli04-May-20241 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 92 runs in the powerplay against Gujarat Titans were by far the most by the franchise in this phase in any IPL game. The previous highest was 79 against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011 and against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this year. The 92 runs today also ranked joint-fifth among the highest totals in the powerplay in IPL.69 – Difference in runs between the powerplay totals of RCB (92 for 1) and Gujarat Titans (23 for 3). It is the biggest difference in powerplay totals in an IPL match, surpassing the 65-run difference for Kolkata Knight Riders (105 for 0) against RCB (40 for 3) in 2017.18 – Balls Faf du Plessis needed for his fifty. It is now the second-fastest fifty for the RCB, behind the 17-ball fifty by Chris Gayle against Pune Warriors in 2013.Related

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64 – Runs scored by du Plessis before his dismissal in the sixth over. These are the most runs scored by a batter for RCB in the powerplay in an IPL match. The previous highest was by Gayle, who scored exactly 50 runs in the powerplay on three occasions. The 64 runs by du Plessis are the sixth-most by any batter in powerplay overs in an IPL match.23 for 3 – GT’s total in the powerplay on Saturday is their lowest in the IPL. Their previous lowest was 30 for 4 against Delhi Capitals earlier this year when they were bundled out for 89. Gujarat’s 23 for 3 is also the lowest powerplay total by any team in this year’s IPL.38 – Balls remaining when RCB reached their target. It is the biggest win for any team in terms of balls to spare in the IPL when having lost six or more wickets. The previous biggest in such a case was by 34 balls for KKR, who chased down a 161-run target against Sunrisers in 14.2 overs despite losing six wickets.8 – Runs aggregated by RCB’s Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the chase. These are the second-fewest runs by a team’s Nos. 3-6 in an IPL innings. Kochi Tuskers Kerala’s 3, 4, 5 and 6 bagged ducks against Deccan Chargers in 2011.8 – Eight out of the 11 wickets taken by pacers today came off short and short-of-a-good-length deliveries – four in the GT innings and four in the RCB chase.

In a match that swung wildly one way, then the other, the optimists among you had reason enough to believe this Sri Lanka team is resurgent

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Sep-20222:51

Maharoof: I would call Asitha Fernando a warrior

Are you watching the Sri Lanka men’s side play this year? I guess, unless you are invested in their fortunes, there is no obvious reason to. They are ranked seventh in Tests, eighth in ODIs, and eighth in T20Is. They are very decidedly not a world-beating team.But in terms of fun had, surprises delivered, heart-stopping moments provided, they are living on the edge, folks. If you’re a pessimist, they are a side on the verge of falling into cricketing irrelevance, having allowed their domestic cricket to regress for decades. In this reading, the wins are merely the final, powerful palpitations of a once-great side, raging against the dying light.Related

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If you’re an optimist, they are resurgent. They have a world-class legspinner in Wanindu Hasaranga, a solid fingerspinner in Maheesh Theekshana, and a captain who is finding his batting groove in T20Is, with others in the top order contributing sporadically. They are fighting back, getting back to their punching-above-weight ways.This win against Bangladesh, in a match that careened in one direction, swung wildly to the other, and then back and forth several more times, provided evidence for either argument.The pessimists can point to the spectacular luck Sri Lanka had. Kusal Mendis’ innings is a case study. He could easily have been out for two, when he edged Taskin Ahmed behind, but was dropped by a diving Mushfiqur Rahim. He could have been even more easily out on 29, when Mushfiqur actually did catch him. But the bowler, Mahedi Hasan, had overstepped, and he was called back. On 31, he lightly gloved a ball that was going down the legside, but Bangladesh failed to review the not-out decision. He went on to make 60 off 37 – essentially providing the base to Sri Lanka’s chase.Asitha Fernando (left) on T20I debut hit the winning runs for Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesThe finish was monumentally lucky too. Asitha Fernando had batted in only eight T20 innings before this match (his T20I debut), and had hit four fours off the 25 balls he’d faced. In this game, he walked in with Sri Lanka needing 13 off seven, and banged two fours off the three legal deliveries that came at him, essentially sealing the match.Even Bhanuka Rajapaksa was surprised. “Asitha Fernando hit runs that we didn’t expect him to hit, and won the game for us.”The optimists have a case too. Hasaranga, the best bowler in the team, got taken apart, but the batters came through, however fitfully. Dasun Shanaka, in the T20I year of his life, hit 45 off 33 to take the game deep. Chamika Karunaratne then pushed it even deeper, until the win was in striking distance for even the tailenders. They will point to the intangibles – to Fernando’s tenacity, to the excellent groundfielding that prevented a truly monstrous score, to the team’s increasing tendency to win tight games.They are in for a tough week ahead, though. Afghanistan have already thrashed them. Pakistan and India are much better teams on paper. Their players have had established domestic T20 leagues over the course of the last few years, while Sri Lanka have been scrambling to make their own tournament an annual fixture. If you were a pessimist, you might argue this is a Sri Lanka team running on cricketing fumes.But if you’re the other kind of person, they had a bad day against Afghanistan, found a way to chase down 184 against a decent Bangladesh attack, and will ride into the next stage on that confidence.