After winning all the games in group stage Sri Lanka went on to losing all three games in the Super four. The last one they lost was so close and at one point everyone thought that Sri Lanka could pull it off.
The game versus India went down the wire. There was a chance to end the match in regulation time when Dasun Shanaka hit the final ball towards wide long-on with Sri Lanka needing three to win.
However, Shanaka, who was totally unaware that Kuldeep Yadav had misfielded and that there might have been a chance for a third, stretched out a full-length dive to finish the second run and tie the score, expecting the throw to be fired at his end. That meant the game was to be decided in the super over, where Sri Lanka fumbled.
“I would’ve preferred to finish games in normal time,” Jayasuriya said at the post-match press conference. “No captain or coach wants to go to a Super Over. Unfortunately, Dasun missed completing the third run. But no, there’s no mental block against India. Our batting line-up is strong, and we’ve given them confidence. Chasing 200 (203) is never easy, but we almost did it, which shows the quality we have.”
It is no brainer that Nissanka has been the key player for the side. First emerged as a test batter in 2021 he has now stabilised himself as an all-format batter and been a dependable chunk in the side for a while now.
After the game the coach Jayasuriya revealed that Nissanka has been carrying groin and hamstring niggles since the group stage yet the player stood firm and put his body in line particularly against India.
Jayasuriya was all praise for Nissanka and Kusal Perera, who scored 58 off 32 balls during their second-wicket stand of 127 in just 70 deliveries.
“When you’re chasing 202 (203), you have to keep finding boundaries,” Jayasuriya said. “Their partnership was the key. The momentum shifted when we started losing wickets. That’s natural in a chase because someone has to take risks. Sadly, Pathum got out at the wrong time, and later on, the ball began to turn more. Still, it was a very good game of cricket.
“Kusal is one of the best spin players in our team. He played that role well again, though I’d have liked him to bat longer. Both took calculated risks, and when they wanted boundaries, they executed them. Pathum also had a bit of a hamstring issue recently but still gave 100% for the team, which shows his commitment.”
Sri Lanka will return home with a zero win in the superfour, but, they have some positives although the area of concerns grew larger. With just a few months away from the T20 World Cup, the coach stressed on the batters to adapt the T20 format as soon as they can.
“In T20 cricket, assessing conditions quickly is everything,” Jayasuriya said. “In Abu Dhabi, for example, the first-round pitches had pace and bounce, but in the second round, things changed, and we were too slow to adapt. That cost us. The disappointment was the Bangladesh match in the Super Four – 168 on that pitch was a good score, but we didn’t bowl well enough to defend it. Against Pakistan, we didn’t assess the conditions [in Abu Dhabi] quickly enough, and were late to adapt.
“Today, India played very well to get over 200. Our boys showed they’re capable of chasing that, but again we just fell short. Apart from that Bangladesh game, I’m fairly satisfied, though disappointed not to reach the final. We have the batting and bowling quality. The key is to execute plans according to conditions and opposition. If we do that consistently, this team can go very far.”
