Head coach of Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya, expressed that he along with the team did not want to burden themselves after the 83-run loss to Bangladesh in the second T20I of the three-match series and were keen on rectifying their vulnerabilities in the series-deciding game.
Jayasuriya acknowledged that there were quite a few errors committed by the team in the second match and was hopeful that his team deliver the goods in the final contest of the series. With the upcoming game slated on Wednesday, he is confident of his players knowing what to do to be able to handle pressure, and overcome the drubbing.
“I don’t want to be under pressure all the time. This is too much. No one wants to be under pressure like this. It’s a challenge. It’s part of cricket. We did mistakes [in the] last game. We need to bounce back and it’s simple. Players know where we went wrong. A lot of people will be out here to see the game. The cricket-loving public is trusting us, and that’s the key. Everyone knows what to do, and hopefully they will handle the pressure,” he said, as quoted by India Today.
Whoever who gets set needs to bat well: Jayasuriya
The 1996 World Cup-winner, shed light on where the hosts went wrong in the previous clash and elaborated on the message conveyed to the team members ahead of the upcoming match. He has further demanded a lot of consistent outings from the batting unit, and a message regarding the same has been conveyed within the dressing room.
“We need to bat well and long for by the top three. The bowlers are experienced enough, and they know what to do. We have a lot of experienced players and whoever who gets set needs to bat well. [In] the second T20I, we didn’t chase well. One of the top three guys has got to bat through to 15 overs; that didn’t happen. Overall, I think we need more consistency from the batting unit, that is what we have told the boys. We need to do well in all three departments. Players know about their expectations,” the former all-rounder added.
Sri Lanka entered the 20-over segment on the back of 1-0 and 2–1 victories in the Test and ODI series, respectively. They were thrashed by Bangladesh in the second T20I after winning the first one with relative ease. The third match is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, July 16, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
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