Upul Tharanga looking for a better show

Dilanka MANNAKKARA

Upul Tharanga blasted in to the scene with 6 centuries in just 50 games and was on a roll. He had a wonderful tour of England in 2005 where he blasted the English attack. But afterwards he had a slump and was even dropped from the team. He struggled against the spinners and after a good domestic run he is back in business and will perform his duties as an opener for the World Cup. Daily News met up with him and Upul talked about how he wants to improve his technique, to score faster and be a prolific performer.

Q - Upul, first of all congratulations on winning the Man of the series award against West Indies, how do you feel about it?

A - I feel very happy. I applied myself well and played a good inning in the second ODI although I took a bit of time. In the third ODI I hit a solid 30 as well. This was my second Man of The Series Award and I feel satisfied with myself.

Q - That century was scored in 143 balls and you were quite slow to accelerate although we were chasing a smallish target of 203.Why was this?

A - Well, there were signs of rain so we wanted to keep wickets in tact and play safe. I was required to play a long innings and ensure that we keep up with the Duckworth Lewis score and be cautious if needed. That why I didn't accelerate much and the wicket was also on the slower side. At the end of 20 overs we were required to score only 50 odd runs for 1 wicket, but we scored 90.

Q - Do you think that bouncy wickets help you to score much faster? You played very well in England but your strike rate has dipped in the recent times.

A - Well - yes, I prefer playing in England because the ball comes nicely on to the bat and I can time my shots much better. I can maintain a healthy strike rate but in Sri Lanka the tracks are slow and low and the ball doesn't come on to the bat so it is not easy to score runs. Most of the batsmen will prefer playing in England rather than batting in the Sub Continent.

Q - You seem to score boundaries during the Powerplays against fast bowlers but you struggle a bit against the spinners. Have you improved on this?

A - Yes. I worked hard on scoring singles against the spinners in the recently concluded Premier League and I intend on improving and score more against the spinners.

Q - Tharanga you have added lofted cover drives and straight drives over the 30 yard circle to your repertoire. We didn't see you playing these aggressive shots earlier.

A - I have improved on my shot selection and have added a few lofted drives. I am not a huge risk taker by nature but the game needs for us openers to take a few risks and be aggressive. I played a few lofted drives in the Domestic season as well and I hope to play these shots often.

Q - In a scenario where we are chasing over 300 and if Dilshan departs early, what will be your approach? Will you be the aggressor?

A - No, I will play my normal game and try to score runs the way I can. We would be chasing a huge total but if I stick to my basics and play the sheet anchor role, I would be able to maintain a strike rate around 80 85. When chasing a big score the most important factor is to keep wickets in hand so if we have 5 or 6 wickets in hand during the last 10 overs, we can even get 8 runs per over.

Q - Do you have a specific target during the first Power Play to get?

A - Not exactly. I will be cautious for the first few overs and would try to settle down a bit. It again depends on whether you are batting first without any pressure or you are chasing. I most often play my natural game.

Q - What if a spinner opens the bowling instead of a fast bowler? What would be your approach?

A - In the recent past - spinners have opened the bowling especially during the Provincial tournament. I have improved my technique against spin bowling so I am ready for it. But I would prefer batting against the pacies.

Q - You scored a slow 55 in 83 balls in a Provincial match. Isn't this slow strike rate a worrying factor?

A - In that match the spinners opened the bowling and the wicket was slow and there was some turn. I being the Captain of the side wanted to stay at the wicket and to play the sheet anchor role. We wanted to score around 250 and we scored and finally won the game.

Q - Have you improved on your fielding as well?

A - Yes, I work a lot on my fielding now. We practise quite a lot on fielding techniques, diving and catching and we have a separate fielding coach as well.