Dubai [UAE], September 27 (ANI): Sri Lanka’s head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, expressed his preference for finishing games without going into the Super Over after their defeat against India in the Super Four clash in the ongoing Asia Cup, stating that no captain or coach wants to go to a Super Over.
Despite failing to reach the final, he expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, noting that they showed quality in almost chasing down India’s total of 203 runs.
India managed to survive a scare from centurion Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera as they managed to beat Sri Lanka in a Super Over after the game ended in a tie with SL almost pulling off a successful run-chase of 203 runs at Dubai on Friday.
“I would’ve preferred to finish games in normal time. No captain or coach wants to go to a Super Over. Unfortunately, Dasun missed completing the third run. But no, there’s no mental block against India. Our batting line-up is strong, and we’ve given them confidence. Chasing 200 (203) is never easy, but we almost did it, which shows the quality we have,” Sanath Jayasuriya said at the post-match press conference.
Jayasuriya emphasised that chasing a target of over 200 requires finding boundaries and building partnerships. He noted that Sri Lanka’s momentum shifted to India as they started losing wickets towards the end of their innings.
“When you’re chasing 202 (203), you have to keep finding boundaries. Their partnership was the key. The momentum shifted when we started losing wickets. That’s natural in a chase because someone has to take risks. Sadly, Pathum got out at the wrong time, and later on, the ball began to turn more. Still, it was a perfect game of cricket,” he added.
Jayasuriya commended India for surpassing the 200-run mark but also praised his team’s batters, saying they demonstrated their capability to chase such targets. While Jayasuriya expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance, stating that apart from the Bangladesh game, he’s pretty satisfied with his team, though he is disappointed not to have reached the final.
“Today, India played very well to get over 200. Our boys showed they’re capable of chasing that, but again we just fell short. Apart from that Bangladesh game, I’m fairly satisfied, though disappointed not to reach the final. We have the batting and bowling quality. The key is to execute plans according to conditions and opposition. If we do that consistently, this team can go very far,” he concluded.
With this nail-biting win, India remain unbeaten and advance to the final, while Sri Lanka bowed out of the Super Four stage without a win, despite entering it unbeaten. The match saw standout performances from both sides, with India holding their nerve in crunch moments. (ANI)
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