Jayawardene: 'We had more to offer than this'

Prasanna Jayawardene was one of seven Sri Lankan batsmen that the Australian bowlers dismissed on the fifth day en route to their 96-run win © Getty Images

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene expressed disappointment after his team lost both matches of the two-Test series against Australia.

"We had a bit more to offer than this as a team. We had a lot of talented guys in the group and unfortunately we couldn't get all that talent together in a couple of games. That was the most disappointing factor for us," Jayawardene said at the end of the second Test, which his team lost by 96 runs.

"I felt that we had a very good bowling attack but the way we played wasn't very consistent. We could not penetrate through the Australian top order which was very disappointing. The way we batted in the first innings of the two Test matches was also disappointing. That alone gave us a lot of problems in the whole series because we put ourselves under pressure.

"Especially against a side like Australia, you want to challenge yourself and see how far you've come and need to improve. But looking back at the series there are a lot of areas where we definitely need to improve. We have to sit down and talk about where we need to improve and show a lot of character to get back as a group.

"What we have to realise is that we played against the best team in the world right now and they were in form - all their top-order batsmen. We came across a very good side. We challenged ourselves and we tried a lot of things but the way we lost was the most disappointing factor. We just need to refocus and get ready for the three Tests against England."

Questioned whether there would be major changes in the team for the series against England, Jayawardene said: "You just can't chop and change players because they fail in a couple of games. That won't help us in the long run. We just have to make some sensible decisions when we go back home.

"We tried a few guys and extended their periods in our line-up but no one's actually been very consistent. We have to be a bit more patient and wait for the right people to come in. We are heading into a transitional period and we just need to make it smooth and make sure the guys who are coming are comfortable and not under pressure to perform.

"Our domestic structure underneath is not that strong for them to step into international cricket straight away. You have to be with them for quite some time and give them that encouragement to come up to the standard because they are not being challenged underneath. For them to step into international cricket straight away is a huge leap. It's a big bridge for them to leap. You have to be patient."

Sri Lanka's next Test series is at home against England starting on December 1.