Our best wasn't good enough, says Tissera
 

BY SAADI Thawfeeq

SRI LANKA'S inability to make maximum use of the power play and the fact that India took their chances and got away with it were the key factors for the defeat in the recently concluded seven-match one-day series.

The 1-6 rout margin of Sri Lanka told the story of India's complete dominance over a team that had beaten them three times on the trot just three months ago.

There was no doubt that India had done their homework well on the Sri Lankans and were out to avenge the defeats. And how convincingly they did it.

"India improved 150 percent. (Sachin) Tendulkar's presence in the middle made a big difference," said team manager Michael Tissera. "Their fielding had improved tremendously and they played with a plan and took their chances. They excelled in the power plays because they had the batsmen to do it."

Tissera said that the Indian batsmen targeted Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof and once they had hit them out of the attack there was only Dilhara Fernando with his extra pace to contain them.

He said that the team was short of another pace bowler and as a result off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan had to be brought into the attack as early as the ninth and tenth overs which left them with little bowling options towards the latter stages of the Indian innings.

"Sanath (Jayasuriya) not firing in the manner he should made a great difference to the side," said Tissera.

"His dismissals early in the innings put a lot of pressure on the rest of the batting. The others tried to take on his role which proved to be disastrous. With Sanath's continued failure we could not succeed with the power play."

It was a tour where fortunes seemed to smile on India on whatever they did. They won four out of the seven tosses and at Mohali and Pune the toss proved vital because with an early start at 9 in the morning the ball moved around a lot. Tissera said that poor batting and bowling also contributed to the defeats.

"Our bowlers were unable to gauge the proper length on the flat pitches. They either bowled a full length or were too short and, were taken to task," said Tissera, a successful Sri Lanka captain of the pre-Test era.

"Our top order batting failed on good pitches. We kept losing early wickets and every time we struggled and was under tremendous pressure. Our batsmen failed to adjust to the harder wickets. Our fielding was not what it was expected to be. India outfielded us," he said.

Tissera said that from the outset India were determined to knock Sri Lanka out of the contest and after they had piled up 350 plus in the first one-dayer at Kanpur they simply went after the bowling and took their chances.

"Whereas our bowlers struggled to adjust to their line and length, the Indian bowlers bowled one line wicket to wicket. Ajith Agarkar bowled beautifully and swung the ball both ways," said Tissera.

One pleasant note Tissera struck was that despite the succession of reverses they suffered in the series the team was at no time downcast but worked very hard at every game. "However our best wasn't good enough," he said.