Smith - 'The feeling is fantastic'
Both captains spoke about what they went through in the first Test, and on looking forward to the second match in Colombo
Charlie Austin at Galle
08-Aug-2004
Graeme Smith and Marvan Atapattu, the two captains, offered their take on the first Test, and looked forward to the second match in Colombo.
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Graeme Smith
On his bizarre dismissal
When you get stuck in you want to bat through for the guys and it would obviously have been nice to get a hundred, but it was fantastic to see Jacques [Kallis] come in and play as well as he did in the first innings. The feeling we have got in the dressing-room now is fantastic.
On his bizarre dismissal
When you get stuck in you want to bat through for the guys and it would obviously have been nice to get a hundred, but it was fantastic to see Jacques [Kallis] come in and play as well as he did in the first innings. The feeling we have got in the dressing-room now is fantastic.
On the team's approach
We had the target in mind but we always thought it was going to be a long haul as it was not easy scoring on this wicket. You can go through patches when you score but it was very easy to dry it up if you bowled in certain areas. The rough out there was looking like sand and that does not make it easy to score quickly or take chances. In a two-match series, getting yourself seven wickets down at tea is not the right option.
We had the target in mind but we always thought it was going to be a long haul as it was not easy scoring on this wicket. You can go through patches when you score but it was very easy to dry it up if you bowled in certain areas. The rough out there was looking like sand and that does not make it easy to score quickly or take chances. In a two-match series, getting yourself seven wickets down at tea is not the right option.
On the mood in the dressing-room now
At the end of the day, two months or even a week ago people must have been questioning whether the match was going to last five days or whether we would be able to bat out the final day. This is a huge positive step for us. A couple of years ago we came here and lost by and innings and 15 runs. We go to Colombo now with a lot of confidence on a wicket that we can hopefully play well on and put them under pressure. At the moment, they are asking more questions than we are. We have got a few things we can improve on but the guys have taken a lot of confidence out of today. I am really proud with the way the guys have performed.
At the end of the day, two months or even a week ago people must have been questioning whether the match was going to last five days or whether we would be able to bat out the final day. This is a huge positive step for us. A couple of years ago we came here and lost by and innings and 15 runs. We go to Colombo now with a lot of confidence on a wicket that we can hopefully play well on and put them under pressure. At the moment, they are asking more questions than we are. We have got a few things we can improve on but the guys have taken a lot of confidence out of today. I am really proud with the way the guys have performed.
On his health
I have been suffering through the Test. The doc has given me a few injections and I have just been pushing through. I suffered a bit today - I lost five kilos in the first session - but I am getting stronger and hopefully by the next Test match I will be alright.
I have been suffering through the Test. The doc has given me a few injections and I have just been pushing through. I suffered a bit today - I lost five kilos in the first session - but I am getting stronger and hopefully by the next Test match I will be alright.
On the team's preparation for the second Test
Tomorrow will be a rest day and then we will take it up again on Tuesday. There are still a few things that we can improve on. Our standards in the field from the first to the second innings improved a hell of a lot. The intensity and body language was back. We put ourselves under pressure in this Test match with one bad session. If we had not had that we could easily have walked away with a win here. We played some serious cricket and we go to Colombo with more confidence than Sri Lanka.
Tomorrow will be a rest day and then we will take it up again on Tuesday. There are still a few things that we can improve on. Our standards in the field from the first to the second innings improved a hell of a lot. The intensity and body language was back. We put ourselves under pressure in this Test match with one bad session. If we had not had that we could easily have walked away with a win here. We played some serious cricket and we go to Colombo with more confidence than Sri Lanka.
Marvan Atapattu
On South Africa's batting
I thought they worked to a plan and at no stage did they diverge from that. They had in mind where they wanted to be at the end of today and they achieved that. They would have decided when they started the innings yesterday that they would have wanted this result.
On South Africa's batting
I thought they worked to a plan and at no stage did they diverge from that. They had in mind where they wanted to be at the end of today and they achieved that. They would have decided when they started the innings yesterday that they would have wanted this result.
On the pitch
The main areas of the pitch are still good but the two sides are dusty. But we did not see anything jumping and bouncing off the footmarks, which is unusual at Galle. Although it was dusty, it did not do as much as we expected.
The main areas of the pitch are still good but the two sides are dusty. But we did not see anything jumping and bouncing off the footmarks, which is unusual at Galle. Although it was dusty, it did not do as much as we expected.
On missing a win
People thought we would go one-nil up here but it didn't happen and we know we have to go to Colombo and do our best there. If we play to our potential we can win there.
People thought we would go one-nil up here but it didn't happen and we know we have to go to Colombo and do our best there. If we play to our potential we can win there.
On Murali's performance
It is a bit unusual from a captain's point of view to see him not taking the number of wickets that he normally does. Their batters handled him pretty well and he is playing a Test match after a long time. He is, though, a man of great experience and hopefully he will bounce back in Colombo. From a captain's point of view, I would like to see that particular delivery too, which troubles most batsmen. But it is not something that I or Murali can talk about. We will have to deal with the deliveries that he is allowed to bowl. He will be working on the line and length more and when we get back to Colombo I am sure he will do well for us. The authorities have asked him to stop bowling one of his key weapons for the moment and he therefore has to readjust his bowling pattern and thinking.
It is a bit unusual from a captain's point of view to see him not taking the number of wickets that he normally does. Their batters handled him pretty well and he is playing a Test match after a long time. He is, though, a man of great experience and hopefully he will bounce back in Colombo. From a captain's point of view, I would like to see that particular delivery too, which troubles most batsmen. But it is not something that I or Murali can talk about. We will have to deal with the deliveries that he is allowed to bowl. He will be working on the line and length more and when we get back to Colombo I am sure he will do well for us. The authorities have asked him to stop bowling one of his key weapons for the moment and he therefore has to readjust his bowling pattern and thinking.