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Mahela wants to turn the heat on India
Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene says his side will continue to move at a brisk rate.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: July 27, 2008 05:47 PM IST
Read Time:3 min
Colombo:
The Lankan skipper said his team had been doing well in the last 12 months and had defeated the West Indies as well as England during the period.
"It is a good batting wicket. It is about application. If you can settle in it is easy to bat on," he said.
"We want to provide a good challenge," he said after three Sri Lankans including himself scored a century apiece.
He said the team had not decided on the amount of runs that needed before asking the Indian team to bat.
"We want to get enough of runs to put pressure on India," Jayawardene told the post match press conference adding he looked forward to the ball to turn on the fourth and fifth day.
"This is the idea to make use of the two spinners. We also have good fast bowlers in Chaminda Vaas and Kulasekara," Jayawardene said.
On India forfeiting two of the three attempts to challenge umpire's decision under the referral mechanism, Jayawardene said it was important to take a call on the decisions that could have a 50-50 per cent of going in favour.
"It is hard to decide by the third umpire when there is a 50:50 chances," he said.
He said the wicket-keeper could perhaps be the best person for the fielding side to consult before opting to challenge on field umpire's decision.
Jayawardene said Dilshan Tillekaratne was confident he had not got an edge and was successful in getting the decision in his favour under the new system.
Jayawardene said his team was lucky to capitalise on the dropped catches to reach a strong position.
Centurion Warnapura said he had changed his technique during his 20 month-long absence from Test cricket.
"I wanted to come back into the side," he said adding he had been working towards scoring runs at any given opportunity rather than merely going on the defensive.
Indian paceman Ishant Sharma defended the visiting bowlers, saying there was not much for the bowlers in the pitch, which was full of runs.
"There was bounce with the new ball and not the old one," he said adding there was not enough of movement off the pitch.
Asked whether he expected Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan to extract turn from the pitch on the third or the fourth day, he said "so far I have not seen any turn in the wicket".
He said dropping catches were part and parcel of the game and that the bowlers should continue to maintain good line and length to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen.
On India losing two of its three permissible challenges under the new referral system, Sharma said the ICC had brought the system and the teams will avail of it.
Enthused by his team's splendid show after moving past the 400 run mark, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said though he had not set a target he would look to bring India under pressure by piling enough runs.The Lankan skipper said his team had been doing well in the last 12 months and had defeated the West Indies as well as England during the period.
"It is a good batting wicket. It is about application. If you can settle in it is easy to bat on," he said.
"We want to provide a good challenge," he said after three Sri Lankans including himself scored a century apiece.
He said the team had not decided on the amount of runs that needed before asking the Indian team to bat.
"We want to get enough of runs to put pressure on India," Jayawardene told the post match press conference adding he looked forward to the ball to turn on the fourth and fifth day.
"This is the idea to make use of the two spinners. We also have good fast bowlers in Chaminda Vaas and Kulasekara," Jayawardene said.
On India forfeiting two of the three attempts to challenge umpire's decision under the referral mechanism, Jayawardene said it was important to take a call on the decisions that could have a 50-50 per cent of going in favour.
"It is hard to decide by the third umpire when there is a 50:50 chances," he said.
He said the wicket-keeper could perhaps be the best person for the fielding side to consult before opting to challenge on field umpire's decision.
Jayawardene said Dilshan Tillekaratne was confident he had not got an edge and was successful in getting the decision in his favour under the new system.
Jayawardene said his team was lucky to capitalise on the dropped catches to reach a strong position.
Centurion Warnapura said he had changed his technique during his 20 month-long absence from Test cricket.
"I wanted to come back into the side," he said adding he had been working towards scoring runs at any given opportunity rather than merely going on the defensive.
Indian paceman Ishant Sharma defended the visiting bowlers, saying there was not much for the bowlers in the pitch, which was full of runs.
"There was bounce with the new ball and not the old one," he said adding there was not enough of movement off the pitch.
Asked whether he expected Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan to extract turn from the pitch on the third or the fourth day, he said "so far I have not seen any turn in the wicket".
He said dropping catches were part and parcel of the game and that the bowlers should continue to maintain good line and length to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen.
On India losing two of its three permissible challenges under the new referral system, Sharma said the ICC had brought the system and the teams will avail of it.
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