By CricketCountry Staff
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said on Saturday that his side failed to maintain pressure on India, who trumped the home side to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International series.
Published: Jul 29, 2012, 09:02 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 29, 2012, 09:02 PM (IST)
Mahela Jayawardene said his side played good cricket © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Colombo: Jul 29, 2012
Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said on Saturday that his side failed to maintain pressure on India, who trumped the home side to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International series.
Jayawardene said, “We knew we had to be prepared for something like this even after we got them all-out for 138 in the last game. They’re a quality team.”
“I think we played very good cricket today despite making a few mistakes here and there. But credit to them; they played better cricket than us,” he added.
Jayawardene said Sri Lanka failed to bank on opportunities in their third ODI against India, which they lost by five wickets at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday night.
He said, “Up front we didn’t put pressure on them. After scoring 286, we gave them an easy start. Once we got those quick wickets, we had the game in our hands through the powerplays.”
“But we bowled poorly and dropped Raina, which was a crucial wicket. We need to make sure we execute our plans well in critical situations and try to finish the game off. It was a great cricket match between two quality teams. It’s tough when you lose but you know you played a very good game and try to refocus on the next one,” he was quoted as saying by bcci.tv
Talking about Kumar Sangakkara’s injury, which ruled him out of action and from the India series, Jayawardene said it is an opportunity for another young cricketer to make his mark.
“I believe he will be out for 4-6 weeks. He’d probably get a well-deserved break. I guess this is the only way he could get a break. It opens the door for another youngster to come in and perform, which is great for us,” he said.
“Despite the injuries, we have to make sure we come back strongly in the next game,” Jayawardene concluded.
