Sri Lanka Bounces Back from India Horror, Wins ODI Tie Against New Zealand with Theekshana's Heroic Knock

Colombo, Sri Lanka - After a tumultuous tour of India where they crumbled under pressure in the ODI World Cup 2023, Sri Lanka spinner Maheez Theekchana and his teammates have staged an impressive comeback with a three-wicket win over New Zealand at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on November 17.
The dominant batting performance from wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis and uncharacteristic heroics from Theekshana - who scored 27 runs off 44 balls, including two fours and a six - sealed Sri Lanka's hard-fought victory with an over to spare.
"We've got a good bench strength, we have experienced and young players, you need to keep doing well with so much competition around," said Theekshan after the win. "The World Cup in India was a shame for us, but we've started to win now and the environment around the team is very positive."
The 24-year-old spinner revealed that he and Mendis adopted an approach of taking wickets while not giving away too many runs. "We thought if we don't give them wickets, the dew will come and make it difficult for them," Theekshan said about their strategy.
Sri Lanka's win marks a major turnaround for the team, coming off the back of their impressive ODI series victory against India earlier this year. Having ended a 12-year drought with an ODI win over New Zealand, Sri Lanka are now gearing up for the upcoming ICC events and have a shot at securing their maiden World Test Championship final spot.
"Their performances have been decent in the shorter formats, so I don't think we should be underestimating them," said Theekshan. "However, our own performances will need to step up if we are going to make it to the finals."