Few mistakes cost game for us - Bayliss
Shirajiv SIRIMANE in India
Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss said that Sri Lanka made a few
mistakes in the bowling and fielding and in the last few overs while
batting to throw away a golden opportunity of winning the first One day
international against India at Rajkot.
India scored 414 for 7 while Sri Lanka fell three runs.
He said that once India amassed a total in excess of 400 plus it was
always difficult to chase that. “We first wanted our batsmen to stay
there and bat as long as possible and make a match of it. However with
Dilshan and Tharanga going well we had a chance of victory but it was
unfortunate to see that we come so far and lost the game,” he said.
He said that the match was won by India in the last 10 overs as they
bowled tight and fielded well. “We reached 100 before the Indians and
this proves my point,” he said.
Commenting on Lasith Malinga’s viral flu the coach said that he is
recovering and he is likely to play in the next match.
Asked if Ajantha Mendis had played whether it would have made a
change. He added that Tharanga was not playing well in the lower order
and as an opener he made a 50 plus at Rajkot and they will open with him
in the next match as well.
“I hope that Sehwag’s form will soon end,” he quipped. Meanwhile the
hero of the Indian team Sehwag said that this was the best one dayer he
had ever played. “This is my usual style of playing and I am not after
records,” he said.
Commenting on the Sri Lankan innings he said that if Dilshan and
Sangakkara were there till the 40th over they had a big possibility of
losing the match. “When they were batting so well, I thought they will
take the match away from us,” he said.
He added that the Indian bowlers tightened their grip and pacemen
sent down over 40 yorkers making Sri Lankan stroke play difficult for
the tail enders.
He said that one dayers and T20s are here to stay and due to the
enthusiasm generated from them even there are crowds for test matches.
The Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) also turned down an
appeal by the Cricket authorities in Rajkot to allow the second one
dayer to be hosted in the same venue. “They decided to move the match
from Vishakhapatnam to Nagpur due to domestic violence where Sri Lanka
played the final test match and lost by innings.
Murali, Dilhara
to return home
Sri Lankan spinning wizard Muththaiya
Muralitharan pulled out of the remaining fixtures of the Sri
Lankan tour of India.
“He has informed the management that he
wants to return to Sri Lanka and take treatment,” said the
manager of the Sri Lanka team Brendon Kuruppu. Muralitharan
did not play in the two T20 matches and the first one day
international at Rajkot.
In addition Dilhara Fernando who suffered
a thumb injury in the last one day match was also to return
to Sri Lanka yesterday. Fernando bowled an economical spell
in the Rajkot match taking two wickets for 66 runs in 9
overs.
The two players who are expected to
replaced them are Muthumudalige Pushpakumara and Suraj
Randheer. Rajkot, Wednesday |
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