Sri Lanka's overseas travails

Sri Lanka arrived in India as the overwhelming favourites to wrap up the one-day series - after all, they were the second-best team in the world according to the ICC ratings - but four matches into the series, things have gone completely pear-shaped for them, and all that is left to play for is pride. The results in the first four games might surprise many, but for those who have been following Sri Lankan cricket over the last few years, it shouldn't come as too much of a shock.

For many years now, the Sri Lankans have been tigers at home, but have struggled to impose themselves against any kind of reasonable opposition overseas. The table below shows just how much their performance has dropped when they aren't playing in the comforts of home environs: in 41 home ODIs since 2001 (excluding games against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and other non-Test playing nations), they have won 29, that's a whopping 70%; when playing away from home against the same teams, that figure drops to an abysmal 37%. During this period, they have lost series in South Africa (twice), Australia, England, Pakistan and India, and also put forward disappointing displays in the World Cup in South Africa and the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Their only series wins have come in New Zealand (in 2001), West Indies (in 2003) and Zimbabwe.

It's interesting to look at some of the other teams which struggle abroad. England's stats are easily the worst, while New Zealand are well below par too. In fact their current plight is similar to Sri Lanka's: after trouncing an opponent at home recently - like the Lankans did against India - Stephen Fleming and his troops are realising that it isn't quite so easy when the comforts of home conditions are taken away.

Home & away records of top teams since 2001*

Team	Home - wins/ ODIs	Home win %	Overseas - wins/ ODIs	Overseas win %
Australia	35/ 46	76.09	47/ 66	71.21
South Africa	25/ 43	58.14	25/ 53	47.17
Pakistan	14/ 21	66.67	40/ 85	47.06
India	16/ 36	44.44	31/ 73	42.47
Sri Lanka	29/ 41	70.73	24/ 64	38.10
New Zealand	22/ 39	56.41	22/ 69	31.88
West Indies	12/ 38	31.58	16/ 51	31.37
England	14/ 35	40.00	13/ 44	29.55

*excludes games against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and other non-Test-playing teams. Overseas matches include ODIs at neutral venues.

Sri Lanka's problem has clearly been the bouncy and seaming conditions in Australia, South Africa and England. Take away their matches against the minnows, and since 2001, they've won seven out of 28 matches in those countries against the top teams, a measly 25%. If the argument is that all subcontinental teams struggle there, then check out the success rates achieved by India and Pakistan - India have won 12 out of 27 (44.44%), while Pakistan's record is 12 out of 31 (38.71%). The one overseas venue where Sri Lanka have done well is New Zealand, where the slow pitches are quite similar to what the Sri Lankans face at home.

The third and fourth matches of the current series in India showed just where the Sri Lankans struggle overseas: in their last ten defeats at home, only two came when they were defending a target, and both were rather small ones (183 and 226). In successive matches at Jaipur and Pune, however, India chased down 299 and 261 - the odds of India pulling off similar run-chases in Sri Lanka would have been next to nil. Check these stats out: Sri Lanka have never lost a home ODI after scoring more than 250 when they have batted first; and out of the 39 instances when they have managed more than 200, only five times have they faced defeat (four of those results can be found here, while one was a truncated game, against Pakistan in 1994. On the other hand, on the 46 occasions when Sri Lanka have chased more than 200, they've triumphed 29 times.

Last week's column had shown that slow bowlers send down more overs per match in Sri Lanka than in any other country. The lack of pace on the pitches and the relatively big outfields work perfectly for them, and Sri Lanka have just the kind of attack to exploit those conditions. However, while their spinners have been unmatched at home, even their fast bowlers have been much more effective on those slow tracks than on the faster pitches overseas.