The word on everybody’s lips in the Sri Lankan cricketing fraternity is disappointment. That is what the recent T20I series between India and the host island Sri Lanka was, a bitter pill to swallow, indeed. A clean sweep at home, the Indians have activated an intensive wave of thumb-sucking by fans and experts alike, not to mention former Sri Lankan skipper and the present interim coach, Sanath Jayasuriya.
In a previous match, he had candidly accepted that “It was not satisfactory” in terms of their performance. Sanath Jayasuriya also conceded that the public were aggrieved, but asked them to continue backing the team. At five though, he spoke of the efforts taken by the players in order to save the blushes of the team: “I see the players giving their all,” he said. As far as supporters are concerned, he added, “I hope they rally around us in the ODIs coming up.”.
After a good beginning, the team collapsed under pressure and lost it in a Super Over. Sanath Jayasuriya thinks the match should never have come down to that.
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“We were in a commanding position, but the Indian spinners turned the game on its head,” he said. Further, the coach said that Kusal Perera wanted a right-handed batter to go in after that delay and this decision might have probably changed the result of that game.
Though there are weaknesses from within the team, Sanath Jayasuriya expressed confidence in the talent pool available. He maintained that his team possessed the necessary talent and dedication to succeed at the top level. Jayasuriya, however, acknowledged lack of proper shot selection and dealing with pressure as the reasons for poor performances by the team lately.
Therefore, to correct the deficiencies, the coaching staff has included rigorous training sessions as part of their daily diets. Batsmen, for example, Kusal Perera are known to spend long hours in the nets batting.
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Sanath Jayasuriya feels that the players are not devoid of commitment, but lack the instinct to make the appropriate decision and the mental fortitude. This ODI series offers that great chance for redemption, with the Sri Lankan team wanting to regroup itself. The team likes to put the T20I disappointment behind and show the world its true potential.
