Four Sri Lanka players underwent 'in-competition' doping test before the 1st T20I against Australia

Sri Lanka is currently on the tour of Australia for a three-match Twenty20 International series where four of its cricketers provided their “in-competition” doping test ahead of the first T20I at the Adelaide Oval. In-competition test is basically a process where unless otherwise specified, it refers to a period spanning twelve hours from the start of the competition which ends at the culmination of the tournament and the related collection of samples is taken.

As per the sources in Australia, the International Cricket Council’s anti-doping officials had made a ‘surprise visit’ to the ground where they had requested the team physio and trainer to cooperate in the process. Asantha de Mel- Sri Lanka’s team manager- gave the desired permission and the tests were completed within a few minutes, as reported by the Deccan Chronicle.

The players who were subjected to the ‘in-competition’ test are captain Lasith Malinga, swashbuckling left-handed batsman Niroshan Dickwella, precocious talent Avishka Fernando and Lahiru Kumara. The results of the process will be displayed to the public after fourteen days, in case the results turn out to be adverse.

Aussies hand Sri Lanka a walloping

Meanwhile, 2019 has been a year of unpredictability as far as Sri Lanka’s cricket is concerned. You simply can’t second-guess which side will turn up on a given day. If you take them for granted, they’ll shellack you to the point of embarrassment, like South Africa (in Test cricket) and the No.1 ranked T20I side in the world, Pakistan (0-3) found out.

On other occasions, they simply turn up as a defeated unit, as they have in the ongoing T20I series against Australia. The first two Twenty20 Internationals at the Adelaide Oval and The Gabba has been a story of total domination and complete annihilation of the tourists by the rampaging Australians.

In the first T20I, David Warner’s maiden T20I century consigned them to their heaviest defeat in the shortest format of the game (by 134 runs). And, if you thought it was just a blip and things would change for the better, come the second match at the Gabba, you were in for a disappointment.

Another dismal batting performance by the tourists, one that saw Sri Lanka manage just 117 runs in 19 overs. David Warner (60 not out) and Steve Smith (53 not out) made the run-chase as ridiculous as a walk in the park, to help their side take an unassailable lead in the series.

[interaction id=”5db2f7437bf76b4d68bf73e3″]