Team Director Ravi Shastri termed the performance of the Indian bowlers in the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka as the “best in the last couple of years” and hoped for a repeat show in the series-decider.
India grabbed eight wickets in the final morning in quick time to win the second Test by a handsome 278-run margin.
“It was the best bowling performance I have seen from this unit in the last couple years. Especially on second and third day, where in parts, they didn’t get any wickets but the discipline was there. They kept on the pressure and when wickets started falling, it showed,” Shastri said at the pre-match media conference in Colombo.
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“So they can do the same in this match and I don’t see why not, because they did it in the last Test,” the former India captain said.
Shastri also stressed on the fact that the batting order of the side will remain flexible and depending on match situations, it will be changed.
“In this team, no one owns a batting position. It all depends on the situation. We will play horses for courses and see what the situation and the opposition demands.
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“Accordingly, we will see what the best batting position in the side is for each batsman against that particular outfit and seeing the state of the series,” Shastri said answering a query on Ajinkya Rahane’s promotion at No. 3 in place of Rohit Sharma, who struggled in the first Test.
Shastri, who is known for his tough talking, reiterated that winning is what matters to the team as they go into the third Test.
“Nothing has changed from Galle. We play only for one reason and we play to win. Now we are in a position where if we can win this Test, we win the series which is massive. So there is no point being shy of going for a win,” said the veteran of 80 Tests.
“At the same time, it is a case of not being overconfident. We need the right balance and we need to play proper cricket like we did in the last Test,” he added.