We need to handle pressure better

At the moment everything looks very promising for me to return for the second Test as we try to level the series. My hamstring has been healing well and I'm almost back to full fitness. There's no pain when I'm batting but I just have to make sure I can run at full pace.

If I don't make it, I'll look to the next challenge - we face England a week after getting back - so the rehabilitation is an ongoing process. The guys in the team have been keeping an eye on me, making sure I do everything right so I can play against Australia in Hobart on Friday. The challenge is to get into the side and make sure I'm performing at 100%.

I wasn't part of the team for the first Test, but if I go in, the expectations will be high, so I have to be prepared enough to deliver. Michael Vandort batted at No. 3 in Brisbane and he did brilliantly in the second innings. It's now up to me to match up to those standards.

I heard Ricky Ponting was watching me in the nets and when I was doing my training at the Gabba, but I didn't see him - I've been working so hard to get fit!

Being part of the team during the first Test and watching the guys performing was fun in a way. At the same time it was a bit frustrating to be sitting on the sidelines and not having an active part. We've got to be honest and say we didn't score enough runs in the first innings. When you don't do that, it's very hard to get back into the game.

We may have lost by an innings and 40 runs, but there were a lot of positives. Our bowlers stuck to the task throughout, and credit goes to them for keeping their discipline for most of the game. One of things we spoke about was bowling in partnerships and it was unfortunate that we didn't have all three fast bowlers firing the same way. Farveez Maharoof was fantastic, so was Chaminda Vaas, and Dilhara Fernando came back well at the end. You've got to back that up with a sustained and consistent batting performance. We didn't have that in the first innings, but we showed a lot of fight in the second and we have to show that all the time.

We need totals of 300 to 350 - or even closer towards the 400-mark - to be a challenge. The batsmen will have to find individual strategies to help them against the Australians. Whatever bowling attack you play against, it's always difficult, but nothing is ever too difficult. Our guys have realised that and hopefully we'll have a more cohesive plan in Hobart.

You do get periods when you can't break free and you face too many balls from one bowler at a stretch. But if you bat through the tough periods then suddenly the floodgates can open, and then maybe you get another period that is tight and you have to recognise it and work through it. We're no strangers to those situations; we just have to rise above it, absorb the pressure for as long as we can and stay on top of our game.

In Brisbane there were a few things going on off the field too. There have been no pictures of the game going back to Sri Lanka because of an issue with media accreditation. It's unfortunate that there has been no agreement yet, since it's nice to be seen playing for Sri Lanka by Sri Lankans

The other thing was Marvan Atapattu's press conference. The team was most surprised by Marvan saying what he did while we were on tour. He has always been a guy who has been very direct with his thoughts. If he has something to say, more often than not he comes out with it. It's important to note it has not affected the team or dressing-room atmosphere.

We knew there were certain issues between players, selectors and the sports minister, but that's not something the players want to get involved in. We want to detach as much as possible from politics so we can be free to play cricket. We do hope the Sri Lankan cricket board does not focus too much on that particular press interview but tries to see what led to that being said, and tries to solve the misunderstandings, the mishandling - or whatever - that led to that press conference.