Sri Lanka top order batsman Dhananjaya de Silva admitted that wrong options taken by the batsmen had cost them the Test series against England where they find themselves trailing 0-2 and in danger of being whitewashed 3-0.
“Taking the wrong option at the wrong time is what has cost us the series. The batsmen should put a price on their wicket. When you play Tests, you have to spend time and try and tire out the opposition then the runs will start to come,” said De Silva at the end of the second day of the third Test at the SSC yesterday.
“The batsman has to come up with those solutions themselves. No matter what someone else tells us, it’s the batsman’s own mistake. They have to figure it out.”
Sri Lanka collapsed dramatically from a strong position of 183-2 at tea to 240 all out in a matter of 97 minutes to hand England a handy first innings lead of 96.
“Our batting was very weak but even more than that they bowled really well with a plan. They dried up the boundaries and bowled aggressively. If we had played to a better plan, we wouldn’t have crashed like this,” said De Silva. “When we were 173 for 1 and then I got out, I don’t think the others were able to take the game forward as much as they could have. When they tried to attack us, we went for attacking shots. I don’t think that was a good option at the time.
“In the last match, Dimuth and I attacked and scored runs. When you take the right option at the right time, you can score quickly. But if you take the wrong option, that’s when you collapse,” he said.
Losing the toss in all three Tests also played a big part in Sri Lanka finishing behind England said De Silva.
“If we had batted first on this pitch maybe it could have been different. If we had set a target, we would have some momentum when we come out to field, and it’s easier to get wickets. Unfortunately we lost the toss all three times. They scored heavily in all three first innings.”
We had a positive mindset says Rashid
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid who finished with career-best figures of 5 for 49 said that the positive mindset they came out with after tea contributed towards their success. “Sri Lanka played exceptionally well before lunch but we had a positive mindset and knew if we stick to our plan things would change. We came out after tea, had the belief, had the mindset and things just changed,” said Rashid.
Explaining Sri Lanka’s sensational collapse in the final session where they lost their last eight wickets for just 57 runs, Rashid said: “It was a simple plan.
The plan for me was to do what I’ve been doing; be attacking, bowl my variations, try and get the ball spinning both ways, get the batsmen playing certain shots. Stokesy had his own plan; be aggressive, run in, rough them up and stuff. It worked out perfectly. Stokesy at one end bowling nice and aggressive and me at the other end mixing it up, bowling my variations. It just happened very quickly.”
Adding to Sri Lanka’s woes was the sensational catching at short-leg by Keaton Jennings who pulled off four catches.“He’s made a big difference. This series he’s proved he’s an exceptional short-leg fielder. He reads the game well. He’s alert.
He practices hard in the morning and he gets his rewards. It’s nice having him in there for the spinners,” said Rashid who benefitted from three of those catches on his way to career best figures.
Rashid who is the third spinner in the side said that his role is to bowl shorter spells and try and create chances and to make things happen, especially if batsmen are in and set.