SL vs WI 2024: Daren Sammy labels 2-1 series loss a 'moral victory'

The West Indies faced a first bilateral series defeat in the shortest format of the game against Sri Lanka after going down in the second and third T20Is by massive margins.

Having taken lead with a win in the series opener, they were expected to keep their record intact, but it wasn't to be as the Lankans pulled off a stunning revival to clinch the series. Meanwhile, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy feels that the series loss was no less than a victory given the manner in which the vistors challenges the home team with a second-string squad

"For us, to see the last two games, and the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest. Because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad, and they had to react to that. So I told the guys, 'yes, when the World Cup comes, we won't get these conditions - the ICC will make sure the pitches are good'. So, it was a moral victory for us from the first game to the second game," Sammy was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read: SL vs WI 2024: Lankan Lions topple Windies in third T20I to gain first series win against Men in Maroon

You can't really say it's a bad wicket: Charith Aslanka

On the other hand, Sri Lankan skipper, Charith Asalanka, acknowledged the turning nature of the tracks in the second and third games, but also emphasised on the utilisation and nurturing of his side's pace bowlers while playing in such conditions.

"When you have pacers, like the two slingers (Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana) not getting an opportunity to bowl on good wickets, when the true test comes that's where you really test your team. I mean, there's home advantage, but what good does that make for the development of your squad, especially your fast bowlers, in being able to bowl and have an impact on the game?," mentioned Asalanka.

Asalanka denied the claims made regarding the nature of the pitches, putting forth the fact that the Lankan team managed to put scores in excess of 160. "We were expecting a spinning wicket in the first game as well, but it didn't play as we expected. Then in the second game, it turned a lot more, but we still managed to score 162, and in this game, we chased down 163 in 18 overs. I think, if you look at the scores, you can't really say it's a bad wicket," noted Asalanka.

Also Read: Reports: Pat Cummins to miss two-match Test series against Sri Lanka next year

Apart from the second game, West Indies showed glimpses of their prowess in tackling spin. With the T20 World Cup coming in less than a couple of years' time, they would be aiming to finetune their spin game to stand a chance in the multi-team event.