JOIN USSanga blames it on poor batting
“We could have really battled it out and kept dragging it on and hopefully got into the fifth day, and then anything could have happened with wickets in hand,” the Sri Lankan skipper said of his team’s dogged fight on the fourth day. “But when you are bowled out for 229 and are 413 runs behind, it’s not really the second innings that matters. In the first dig, when we went chasing 642, had we gone past the 400-run mark, we could have made them bat again and that could have given us less time to bat again and save the game. Our commitment in the first innings would have made a huge difference.”
Sri Lanka could have become number one in the world had they won this series, a chance that has now passed them by. “We still have a lot to achieve in Mumbai,” Sangakkara pointed out. “We can still equal the series, that is a great motivation for us. We are disappointed, but that’s the way cricket goes. If you don’t play well, you are going to lose. You have got to accept that. You have got to accept responsibility but still move on.”
Muttiah Muralitharan’s inability to make an impression on India’s batsmen, Sangakkara admitted, was a cause for concern. Murali has figures of five for 396 in the series so far. “It does become a source of concern when your strike bowler is not picking up the wickets. But he is still the best bowler that has played the game, you have to have faith in him and trust him, keep backing him hundred percent to do the job. He is going to do it at one point, hopefully it will be in the next game.”
Ruing missed opportunities, he went on, “We have the potential to pick 20 wickets, but potential is one thing, actually doing the job is another. We would like a bit more penetration with our spin, but with our fast bowling, we have created opportunities. The disappointing thing is that we haven’t really taken those chances. To drop Sehwag twice in the first over in two Test matches is just not on.”