Too many mistakes, Symonds absence cost us: Ponting

Australia, who needed a win to keep their Super Eights hopes alive following their defeat to the West Indies in the first match, struggled to get going against Sri Lanka and managed just 159 in the 20 overs.

And then half-centuries from Tillakaratne Dilshan (53) and captain Kumar Sangakkara (55 not out) saw Sri Lanka winning by six wickets here on Monday.

"It was disappointing to lose the match. Can't explain the reason for the defeat," said Ponting at the post-match ceremony.

Cricket Australia had sent Symonds back home after the all-rounder breached the team discipline.
"It upset a lot of our structures around the team. He's one of the best individual players in this form of the game anywhere in the world, so when you lose someone like that out of your side it does throw a spanner in the works for sure," Ponting said.

The Australian skipper though was miffed at collective failure of his team.
"We're not going to use that as a reason or as an excuse. We had 14 other guys here that had to step up in his absence. We've been able to do that and good enough to do that in the past when we've lost some of our better players out of the side and over the last few days we haven't been good enough.
"I haven't actually heard any talk about Symo not being around over the last few days, so I would like to think that that hasn't played on the minds of any of our players.
"But when you lose someone of the quality and the calibre of him out of the T20 team, it certainly leaves a big hole," Ponting told AAP.
Ponting conceded that the Sri Lankan slow bowlers did a good job by picking up key wickets.
"We knew we had to play the spinners well but didn't," he said.
His Sri Lankan counterpart Sangakkara, who anchored the team to victory, chose to give credit to the bowlers.
Spinner Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga picked up three wickets each while debutant left-arm pacer Isuru Udana bagged a couple to stifle Australia.

"It was a team performance. The key was to rotate the bowlers and they did a good job," said Sangakkara.
He also showered praise on Dilshan, whose hurricane knock set the tone for the run chase.
"Dilshan has done well at number three for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. He is inventive and attacking and has done well for us at the top of the order. Jehan (Mubarak) too did a good job," the skipper said, adding they need to bursh some areas before facing the West Indies in the last group league match.