| Series | Countries | Live Scores | Fixtures | Results | News |
Features
|
Photos | Video & Audio | Blogs | Statistics | Archive | Games | Mobile | ||||||||||||||||||||
India v Sri Lanka 2009/10 /
- India v Sri Lanka home
- |
- News
- |
- Features
- |
- Photos
- |
- Audio
- |
- Fixtures
- |
- Results
- |
- Squads
- |
- Grounds
- |
- Tour Stats
- |
- Records
- |
- Download Fixtures
- |
- History
|
Sri Lanka in India 2009-10
'India don't like being put under pressure'
Sri Lanka are hungry and prepared for a win in India. Kumar Sangakkara looks ahead to what his side will need to do
Interview by Sa'adi Thawfeeq
November 9, 2009
|
|||
|
Related Links
|
|||
Steve Waugh's Australians of 2000-01 deemed winning a Test series in India as the "final frontier" because it had been three decades since they had last won in that country. For the record, Waugh's men failed in their attempt when they lost the three-Test series 1-2. The Sri Lanka team Kumar Sangakkara led to India on the weekend also has similar ambitions. Twenty-seven years and 14 Tests have gone by and Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test in India, let alone a series.
"Not only India, but also Australia and South Africa, where we haven't won Test matches. Those are the ones we should look forward to over the next years," Sangakkara said before the team left for India on Saturday. "We can go as all our teams have done in the past and come back and say, 'Well it's still unchanged', or we go out there and give everything we've got and win the last frontier and then take confidence from that and move on to the one-day series."
The determination to win a Test match in India has been foremost in the minds of the Sri Lankan cricketers, and they have gone about their preparations to achieve that goal diligently. One indicator of how serious they are is in how they brought in about 160 SG balls (which India uses for their home series) to use at practice. "That's been an advantage going into the series," said Sangakkara.
"We tried to do a lot more skill work, specific training in the nets to play spin, specific shots for spin. That's been working for us… developing a good defence with the fast bowlers and spinners, and making a solid base getting the guys to understand how we as a team can score 350-400 runs every time we go out. The bowlers - how they can reverse swing the ball and what you can do to make the ball swing late, and learning how the ball generally behaves. We tried to change our training.
"We've just got to go there with a very strong mind, go all out. Not take a backward step but try to win. We know we are good enough to win and match India if we really want to. We've just got to be as tough as possibly as we can, both mentally and physically, if we are going to do well."
Sangakkara rated India as a very good side but mortal. "We beat them in Sri Lanka with the same side, with the exception of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. They are two extra challenges when we go there, but again those are the things you've got to accept in cricket.
"We've got to go to India with no baggage, nothing in our heads, clear minds, no complaints, and the right attitude to enjoy that country for 55 days. It's a tough country to be in for such a long time, and being away from home. We should enjoy playing ruthless, tough, competitive but fair cricket every single time - win or lose it doesn't matter."
| "We can go as all our teams have done in the past and come back and say, 'Well it's still unchanged', or we go out there and give everything we've got and win" | |||
"But the key is to put ourselves at pressure at training and enjoy the game. If we don't put ourselves under pressure when training, we just go to games under pressure, and I don't think that's going to work for us. We've just got to do all the hard things at training; challenge ourselves to go out of our comfort zones and go into a match fully prepared and confident and just go hard at them."
Sangakkara is confident that if his side can maintain pressure for long periods of time, they can make India crack. "If they get an advantage they are very good frontrunners. What we've got to do is try and put them under pressure right from the start and make them lag behind. If we can do that and keep the pressure on them consistently, I think we can make them crack. Pressure is something they don't like. If you can be consistently aggressive, those things are going to be the difference that makes us win."
As far as mental strength goes, Sangakkara thinks Sri Lanka is right up there with the Australians. "When you look at the number of players who can do great things on the cricket field - we've got so many of them. The key is to believe in yourself and believe in the guy next to you as your team-mate and trust that guy to do the right job. That is why training is so important. The mental strength and belief you have with each other comes with the right preparation. Our guys have actually started realising it now."
The competitive streak has been a part of the Sri Lankan team from the time Arjuna Ranatunga was captain. "Our guys first understood it with Arjuna. He really made them understand that we are good enough to beat any side. One of the main reasons we won the '96 World Cup was that belief.
"When you are low on confidence you don't really think you can win, but I think our guys have to understand that winning or losing depends on that particular day; that doesn't make you a good or bad side. If you train consistently with the right attitude you will find yourself more and more becoming a side that consistently plays good cricket, cricket that's good enough to beat any side in the world. You've got to be a good team every day and the key is to win matches even when you are struggling as a team. That's the real test of the team's character."
Feeds: Sa'adi Thawfeeq
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
| ||||||
| Comments have now been closed for this article |
||||||
TopE-mail
Feedback
Print
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
Tour Results
Sponsored Links
Online Money Transfer, 3 easy steps
Confirmed exchange rates. Register now!
Buy Wisden 2013 & get a FREE Playfair
Available now at Cricshop
I think this series is going to be a fascinating one as both teams are equally matched in bowling and batting departments but in the end, the team which shows character on the field will have the edge on their opponent.
All the best to both teams!!
Posted by Chalachala on (November 12, 2009, 7:29 GMT)Sanga is definitely too much in his vocals.... its time for him make it by work not by words only.Its not a game of boxing where you trying crush your opposition before the match. This is game of gentlemen (may be still) where you have to show by your acts rather than words. But sangakkara has to make sure he dnt lose his patience in tide situations which was seen in most of the last games sl played. He still have to learn thing from Mahela which i feel the best captain ever for Sri Lanka.But i still feel SL have the strenght and skill to beat India in India. That is sure. But as everyone says you have walk the talk here. But i really feel the three spinner of SL will hold a major role in this series.
Posted by asharma76 on (November 11, 2009, 20:32 GMT)I just want to ask one simple question to Sri lankan fans who dreaming about wining test match. Do you think Sehwag, Tandulkar, Dravid & Laxman going to fail all together. Mendis is no threat any more.
Posted by carbandpunk on (November 11, 2009, 18:42 GMT)I have a question that i hope somebody will address. I was looking at Tharanga's profile and it says he is a skillful wicketkeeper, we have Dilshan, Sangakarra and Tharanga so my question is why do we need Prassana Jayawardene or Kaushal Silva. I do understand that Sangakarra keeps saying PJ is the best keeper and having seen Kaushal Silva in the Royal/Thomian games i know that he is very talented too. My question is do we really need them in the squad with all the wicket-keeping options we have
Posted by agam99 on (November 11, 2009, 16:32 GMT)Test form of India is brilliant as they have won their last 3 test series and it will be very difficult for SL bowlers to break into Indian Batting Lineup specially in Test.....Sehwag , Gambhir , Sachin , Dravid , Laxman , Yuvi and Dhoni are very tough nuts to crack and except Murli , no one would be able to succeed much (Not even Mendis).....My prediction would be 1..0 win in favor of India
Posted by DeepuGeorge on (November 11, 2009, 15:15 GMT)India will definately win this series. After their terrible and unexpected loss to an injury depleted Aussie side. Where we have to improve are : fielding, bowling and some improvement with batting. I think we are a phenomenal side under the care of MS Dhoni. However, on occasion self belief wanders away from us.
CHAK DE INDIA ............
Posted by jmoses on (November 11, 2009, 8:58 GMT)Indian batsmen are very good players against spin and there is no point playing 3 spinners against them because of someone like Sehwag at the top who always likes to go against the bowling. Instead they should go with one left arm (India struggles against quality left arm bowling and this was evident when Aussie bowlers Bollinger and Johnson ripped apart the top order in Guhawati) and right arm seemer along with 2 spinners.
As far India is concerned their batting looks better after Dravid and Laxman coming into the side but their bowling looks really substandard even though Zaheer is coming back into the team.
Posted by muizuzair on (November 11, 2009, 4:06 GMT)Skipper Sangakara has arrived in India with a very positive and aggressive frame of mind. He got the right bunch of men and he would get the correct combination but whats important is those combination to succeed. The performances of master spinner old Murali and the sensational new carrom ball Mendis will be vital for our chances of winning the first ever test in Indian soil. Batting wont be much of a problem as we got a very solid batting line up with some ICC top ranked players. Good luck to Sangakara and his men.
Posted by leggetinoz on (November 11, 2009, 1:49 GMT)redneck i have to disagree with you. One thing i like about cricket is (well used to be) that each country and venue had something different when it comes to the pitches. I feel this should be the same as well with balls. Only the big multi-country tournaments should have a set brand of ball for all games. This coming from an aussie who sometimes wishes the poms used the kookaburras as the dukes tend to worry our batsmen. THe players just need to overcome it, it adds another level to the competition as it forces players out of their comfort zone a bit to deal with it and pushes them to become better.
Posted by carbandpunk on (November 10, 2009, 18:40 GMT)I think that the biggest mistake India can make it underestimating Mendis. I also think that there is nothing wrong with playing three spinners. Mendis, Murali and Herath are all doing well so if even two of them fails there is one to pick up the pieces. With Dilshan and Tharanga opening the batting Sri Lanka's good there, remember Tharanga has been involved in a few 200+ run partnerships and Dilshan is in good form. Sangakarra and Jayawardene need to be more consistant but Samaraweera has also been playing well recently. I don't think we need Thushara as Nuwan Kulasekera and Matthews can open the bowling (don't forget Matthews amazing first over against West Indies.) I also think that Kaushal Silva should finally be given a chance. It could strengthen our much needed middle order. i would say 1. Dilshan 2. Tharanga 3. Sanga 4. Jayawardene 5. Samaraweera 6. Silva 7. Matthews 8. Kulasekere 9. Mendis 10. Murali 11. Herath. or maybe replace someone for kandamby and i think SL will win