The new Sri Lankan cricket captain, Mahela Jayawardene, has said that his team will not be complacent about India because of its current run in tests in Australia.
Speaking just ahead of the team’s departure to Australia, where Sri Lanka will join India and Australia for a triangular one day series, he recalled that in the last India – Sri Lanka encounter in the finals of the last ODI World Cup, Sri Lanka had lost. “They [Indians] are struggling. But that is in test cricket. One Day is a different ball game altogether. So, once we get there we need to make sure we are not complacent about the Indians. I know they are a very good one-day side. So we are looking forward to the challenge. The last time we played we lost to India in the finals,” he said.
Mahela also reminded that Sri Lanka had lost to a re-building Australia with the most benign pace attack, in a home series here last year. “When the Australians came here, it was a hard-fought tournament that we lost. So we need to make sure that we go there with the confidence that we have picked up in the last two one day games in South Africa. And go with a very positive frame of mind and play some good cricket,” he said.
Sri Lanka had won the last two one-day matches in South Africa, and this was the best news in a long time for the team. Mahela, who was injured, did not play both the matches. Sri Lanka had lost the series by the time they won the two matches.
Mahela has scores of 2,19,15 in the three ODIs he played in South Africa. Asked if his own form was a cause for concern, Mahlea, now 35, said he was disappointed with his test form in the last year. “I have not been making big runs consistently…But in one day cricket, I probably have had the best two years in my career. In the last two years I have been very consistent in different positions – opening the batting, batting at No.5, - but still I managed to perform the way I want to. So, as far as the one day series is concerned, I am very confident, I can get back…”
Mahela, who quit as Captain in 2009 to make way for youngsters to lead, finds himself in the hot seat again. Sri Lanka Cricket backed Kumar Sangakkara after Mahela left the job. He resigned after the world cup finals defeat at the hands of India, paving the way for another ageing player, T.M.Dilshan, to don the mantle for under a year. Mahela has made it clear that he wants to do the job “for a maximum of a year.”
Keywords: Tri-series, Mahela Jayawardene
