'Fielding in Pallekele will prove a different challenge' - Sridhar

The outfield in Pallekele is not in the best condition as it's been covered due to rain in the lead up to Sri Lanka vs England

On the eve of Sri Lanka's Super Eight match against England, it's pouring in Kandy. Sri Lanka's meteorological department has issued a heavy rain warning. And all five of the days leading up to this match have seen significant rainfall in Pallekele.

That doesn't mean the match is under serious threat, though it might be. Weather forecasts for Pallekele are notoriously unreliable, and the groundstaff at the venue are famously nimble. But what it has definitely meant, is that the outfield is - frankly - a little trash. Brown patches have opened up in places, the rubberised-tarpaulin covers not allowing sufficient sunshine and oxygen to ensure an even layer of grass.

Beyond which the extremities of the Pallekele outfield will also be wetter underfoot than the centre. The downside of covering the entire ground is that all the water drains at the edges. Though they may also bring the boundaries in.

In any case, for R Sridhar, Sri Lanka's fielding consultant, the teams will have to take stock of the rough outfield and adjust accordingly. Sri Lanka especially are coming off a modest fielding showing, having been sloppy with their ground fielding against Zimbabwe, in addition to dropping a catch in the powerplay.

"We were below par in terms of fielding inside the inner ring," Sridhar said. "That is something which has been spoken about already and this ground will probably prove a different challenge because the outfield being under covers for so long and so much of activity happening on the ground, it's going to be a challenge to be really flashy and brilliant on this ground. So we'll have to look at the strategies we adapt as a fielding team on this outfield."

To field effectively on a patchy outfield, with chance of slippage in the outer outfield, Sri Lanka have to pull back to basics, Sridhar said.

"With regards to the outfield, it is not in the best of the conditions. So I think you go back to your school days, right? The simple basics you apply, like getting your body behind the ball, and having a second line of defence, and backing up each other at the appropriate times."

Sri Lanka did field well on their last outing at this ground, however, when they kept Australia to 181, with the outfielding being a highlight of that performance. The best fielding highlight of Sri Lanka's campaign - and possibly the tournament - was Pathum Nissanka's catch off Glenn Maxwell. Fielding at backward point, Nissanka threw himself high in the air to cling to a full-blooded reverse-sweep from Maxwell. He had dropped the same batter the previous over, shelling a far more straightforward chance, running in from long-on.

"I think what stood out in that catch was the anticipation. I think he saw what Maxwell was going to do pretty early and got into a position from where he could attempt that catch. So that itself is a win, irrespective of whether he caught it or not. Him catching it was probably icing on the cake, I would say. It probably lit up the tournament. Until that point, we had some good moments, but that was a stunning moment.

"Full marks and more to Pathum for having recovered, and for him having shown the resilience after dropping him in the earlier over, and being able to pull off a blinder."