GALLE, Friday – Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha put down Sri Lanka’s defeat by 211 runs to England in the first cricket Test at the Galle International Stadium to his team not playing smart cricket.
“It is very disappointing the way we got out. Getting out to the traps they set. They need to understand how they are going to get you out and then bat accordingly. It is not that you are given a free license to play shots regardless of the situation. You need to understand that,” said Hathurusingha at the post-match press conference.
“When you play Test cricket you need to understand how people are going to get you out even in club cricket. You cannot come to international cricket and learn that. I have not seen that before. This tenure I am seeing it. Prior to this people were more intelligent. If you are playing against turn and getting out it is sad. The opposition looks like they are playing with school kids,” he said.
Hathurusingha said that where everything went wrong for Sri Lanka was in the first session of the opening day when England were five down for 113.
“If you look at the first day, until lunch we were top of the game having taken five wickets for 100. But after that, the way they batted, they took the game away from us. From thereon we were chasing the game. In Test cricket, especially on wickets like these, it is very difficult to comeback. Our first innings batting was poor.
They outplayed us in all three departments of the game,” said Hathurusingha.
“The pitch I agree was a not the traditional Galle wicket. We cannot blame anyone. It is the weather. Wickets like this the toss plays a big part. We expect the wicket here usually to turn from day one and little bit quicker. This is very slow turn. A bit disappointing but you cannot put the blame on the pitch. We didn’t play well.”
CHANDIMAL DOUBTFUL
Giving an update on Dinesh Chandimal’s groin strain Hathurusingha said that if was a grade one and it will take 10 to 14 days. “It will be touch and go for the second Test match. The danger for us is that if he is not 100 percent fit, he may not play. We have to look at a replacement or standby player for him.”
KUMARA’S SUSPENSION DISAPPOINTING
Hathurusingha said that fast bowler Lahiru Kumara’s suspension for the entire Test series two days before the start of the first Test was disappointing and ‘certainly a distraction’.
“This is not the first time. It has happened in the past. I don’t think they have taken any action. At least now a leadership group is taking action and standing up for that. It’s not me. The team leadership group took the decision,” said Hathurusingha.
“They are not going to tolerate moving forward whether it is going to affect us or not. We are going to control things that we can control. Everyone is going to behave in certain ways. Performances can go up and down.
The behaviour you can control. It is disappointing two days prior to the Test match. We expect higher standards if you are playing for Sri Lanka and they know that.”
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