Heartbreak for Lanka's Mathews

The 22-year-old Sri Lankan all-rounder was run out going for his 100th run, a dismissal that understandably drove him to tears. “I was very disappointed. A first Test hundred is a big achievement for any cricketer. It was very unfortunate not to get the hundred,” said Mathews, playing just his sixth Test. “But that’s how it goes. I was disappointed with the way I got out and back in the dressing room, I brooded over it for a long time.

“There were a few tears,” he admitted. “All the senior players including the captain said it was part and parcel of the game, you will get more opportunities to score runs. I had recovered by the time we went out to field, but this dismissal will make me more determined and score more runs, and be more careful the next time.”

Mathews was returning for a second run after pulling S Sreesanth to deep backward square, and was caught just short as a Sachin Tendulkar throw zeroed in on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s gloves. “I thought there were two runs, but I grounded the bat way into the crease on my first run, which was why I got run out,” Mathews observed, still in a daze.

“I was under pressure when I came into this Test because I had failed in three innings. I felt I had to score some runs, get into some form and perform for the team. But the team management never put any pressure on me. They have kept telling me to go out there and enjoy myself, but I felt that I needed to score some runs for the team.”

Despite India leading by 50 runs with nine wickets in hand, Mathews said the game wasn’t won and lost. “We can come back from where we are right now,” he said. “India haven’t won this game. It’s just  a matter of 2-3 wickets early in the morning, and then we can get right back into the game.”