We are working extremely hard – Dilshan
Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan says his batsmen are working extremely hard to come out of the batting slump and need to take more responsibility to produce results in Test cricket. Sri Lanka were crushed by South Africa by an innings and 81 runs at Centurion on Saturday as they lost the Test inside three days.
None of the Sri Lankan batsmen were able to post a half-century as the tourists were shot out for 180 runs in the first innings and then again for 150 in the second. With the game ending with two days to spare, the tourists will remain in Centurion and decided to have two net sessions before leaving for Durban on Tuesday.
“We are working extremely hard in the nets and doing everything possible. We need to carry whatever we do at the nets to the middle to be successful. We need to take the responsibility as a batting group. We have guys with excellent batting records, but as a batting group we haven’t unfortunately clicked,” Dilshan, who has now gone through ten Test Matches without winning one said.
Sri Lanka’s overall record is even more disappointing as they have failed to win a Test in 18 months having gone through 15 Tests without tasting victory.
“Our batting hasn’t clicked in the last four series and the same thing happened here. We recovered to reach 150 for four in the first innings, but we collapsed to be bowled out for 180 runs. This Test has been a big letdown for us,” Dilshan further said.
The conditions were hardly to their liking as well as the Test was played on a wicket where there was live grass and to make things worse, Dilshan lost the toss and was forced to bat under overcast conditions, making it ideal for seam bowlers.
“I told you all before the Test Match started that this is going to help the fast bowlers and that’s what happened. The other issue was that the bounce wasn’t consistent. There was two paced bounce and it was difficult to bat,” Dilshan added.
The positive for Sri Lankans was the way their seam bowlers performed, particularly in the first two sessions of day two. Dilhara Fernando in particular troubled the batsmen with extra pace and was unlucky to have two catches dropped off his bowling.
“The bowlers did very well. At one point, we felt like that we could bowl them out for about 250. But missing about four chances was disappointing. I thought the bowlers did a tremendous job especially Dilhara. Had we got around 300 runs in the first innings, we could have put them under pressure with the way we bowled,” Dilshan added.
Dilshan also said that the team was missing injured wicketkeeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardene, who has scored two hundreds this year and has been team’s second best batsman after Kumar Sangakkara averaging more than Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera and Dilshan in 2011.
“He was Man of the Series in England for us and along with Sanga, he has been getting us a lot of runs. But unfortunately he fell ill and we had to give young Kaushal Silva an opportunity. Prasanna is an experienced guy as well and it’s disappointing that we don’t have his services,” Dilshan added.
Courtesy: The Island
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Poor Dilshan and his starving band of willow floggers,
Best you could do is to pack up your bags and fly back home and picket in fron of Hon Aluthgamage’s office until you and team mates get money for your conjee.
That money which was used to Air Taxi Kudu Duminda to Singapore and pay his fees over there in the VIP ward would have been enough to pay our cricketers for a decade.
Also the cost of the security ops and helicopters overhead when His Highness Kudu Duminda was transported from Colombo to Katunayake.
Someone’s got terribly mixed priorities !!!
Manjula,
Suggest you organise a fundraiser in Australia to support the starving Sinhala cricketers representing Sri Lanka in SA.
Former Oz Captain Steve Waugh is good at charities; you could approach him and Mcgrath pretty effortlessly.
DC,
If this is not a big joke then what is? The poor guys have not been paid for more than a year where as the Rajapaksa goons have funds for their tamashas like chasing the illusive Commonwealth games, drag racing, the young prince’s graduation (through the back door)celebration, apparently the school principal had sat for some of the papers himself! etc etc.
Did you see the extensive range of equipment in MR’s private gym where the whole clan, including the madam are shown to be pumping iron whereas the poor underfed lads are losing matches in a big way. Where is justice?
Only in Srilanka where the national stars are treated like heroes can this happen. Shame on you goons and your supporters.
I wonder why Deshamanya’s like Nicholas, Manjula do not rise up to the occasion and seek justice for these warriors of the willow. The conscious of the nation Nicholas, should stop writing essays of rubbish and do something for these starving lads.
We cannot let our national pride in cricketing supremacy slip away for reasons like this.
Yeah, well said Udurawana,
There are other heroes in Welikada as well.
That’s how they are treated by the Blue Brother Govt !!
But His Highness Kudu Domida was flown in an Air Taxi to luxury ward in Singapore !!!
Wonder what the definition of “hero” is in the Blue Brother led SL.
Board must pay their money without any debate, however the team must play regular game. Dilshan not shows his captain cool game on difficult situations which team badly need, even this time sanga not played well too. It’s sound lacking in team efforts. Please play as One team one nation one leader for the country.
Manjula,
The Australian Tamil Diaspora irrevocably offers to support in the fundraiser for the starving Sinhala cricketers of SL.
This is part of our support to ailing nations that are failing to support their star sportsmen.
Please publish details of your fundraising effort in Onlanka to further pursue this humanitarian initiative.
Some guys carry the sportmanship of game to communal discrimination, explicitly it seems. Please be sure not to make another issue of racial or ethnic conflict on this ” Gentlemen’s Game ” ! Yes, even it’s the bitter truth which was prevelant once-upon-a time, the cancer infected all over SL and its nation for thirty-long long years of history, is already rested in peace and the ghosts of terror will never-ever rise back, has or had nothing to do with one Cricket team united as one in the past & even present.
We love Cricket and be reminded and perceived that SL team had sportsmen from all over SL representing all of ethnic groups/race but not as minor or major even yet there is yet influx, welcoming warmly with open doors !!! Your personal envies can be fulfilled satisfying your own will of revenge to come true, at least out of the ” perimeter of spirit in any game ” !! PLEASE DON’T MAKE ANY RACIAL ISSUE TO CONFLICT SRI LANKAN CRICKET …… I BEG YOU, THANKS !!! SAVE YOUR TAMIL DIASPORA CASH TO INVEST IN REHABILITATION & RECONSTRUCTION IN NORTH-EAST WITH HANDS TO HANDS OF GOSL AND NEVERTHELESS, AS THERE IS NO MORE LTTE AND TERRORISM TO FUND !!!
Dear Ravi,
There’s racism entrenched in sports.
No cricketer from the North or East ever represented Sri Lanka.
Our offer to help the ailing Cricket team stands.
The gentleman’s game of cricket has been stolen by power and wealth crazy cartles in SL.
Once the decent oldies like Saga and Mahela retire, it will be Dilshan and company who will rule the roost.
The future is bleak; only the komis karayas can thrive.