(Credit SL)
“The boys went through a very, very hard time. Even during the T20 series we played well but the result was not what was expected,” Sanath Jayasuriya said.
Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, has led the team to their first bilateral ODI series victory over India in 27 years. Rohit Sharma and his team faced a 0-2 defeat in the three-match series, with the first game ending in a tie.
The last time India lost an ODI series to Sri Lanka was in 1997, when Jayasuriya himself was named Player of the Series. This time, the former Sri Lankan captain orchestrated the series win from the sidelines as his team delivered a stellar performance at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, much to the delight of the home fans.
Sri Lanka faced a whitewash in the three-match T20I series that preceded the ODIs. However, they made a remarkable comeback and showcased dominant performances, particularly in the last two ODIs against India. An emotional Sanath Jayasuriya expressed his satisfaction at being part of the Sri Lankan dressing room during their ODI series victories over India and praised the players for their impressive turnaround after the T20I defeat.
“It was a very long wait because that series I played in 1997 and got a lot of runs in that series. That was the last series we won against India. After 27 years, I am part of the team, and I am very happy to be part of these boys. They are a very nice bunch of players and are talented and the whole country would have seen what we can do,” Jayasuriya was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“The boys went through a very, very hard time. Even during the T20 series, we played well, but the result was not what was expected. The players realised what went wrong when we came back to Colombo, and they started to play well,” he added.
Jeffrey Vandersay grabbed his opportunity with both hands: Jayasuriya
Sri Lanka entered the series with several key players sidelined due to injuries, including star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who was hurt after the first ODI. Despite doubts about their chances against the top-ranked ODI team, the Sri Lankans rose to the occasion and made history. Sanath Jayasuriya commended Jeffrey Vandersay for his outstanding performances in the last two matches, including a remarkable six-wicket haul in the second ODI, which came after Hasaranga’s departure from the series.
“We have been working with players like Wellalage, Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Asalanka, all are very young players. Hasaranga got injured and Vandersay has been there for a long time but never got the opportunity and when we gave the opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands,” the 55-year-old said.
