(Source X)
Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, expressed frustration over his team’s failure to close out the third T20I against India. Despite having a winning position, Sri Lanka let the match slip away and ultimately lost.
Having restricted India to a modest 137-9, Sri Lanka had a manageable target and appeared set for their first win of the series. Needing just 9 runs from the last 2 overs with 6 wickets in hand, they seemed poised to secure victory.
However, Sri Lanka managed only 8 runs in those final 2 overs, bowled by Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav, and lost 4 wickets in the process. The game proceeded to a Super Over, where Lankan batters struggled against offspinner Washington Sundar, managing only 2 runs before being dismissed.
In the Super Over, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav hit the first ball for four, sealing the match and clinching the series for India with a 3-0 triumph.
Sanath Jayasuriya criticizes Sri Lankan batsmen for their disappointing performance in the 3rd T20I against India
At the press conference before the first ODI, Sanath Jayasuriya remarked that the third T20I should not have reached the Super Over. He also discussed the role of coaches, emphasizing that ultimately, it is the team that must manage the pressure.
“The third game should never have gone to a Super Over. As coaches, you can tell stuff but handling pressure is for those out in the middle. We are aware that part-time bowlers. had got those crucial wickets. It is disappointing,” Jayasuriya was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Jayasuriya also expressed regret over Kusal Perera’s failure to complete the innings despite being well-established at the crease. Perera, who was Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the match with 46 runs from 34 balls, including 5 fours, could not see the team through. Jayasuriya urged his players to embrace the criticism and take responsibility for the defeat.
“We have to take the criticism” – Sanath Jayasuriya
“Kusal Perera from the middle had made a gesture to send a right-hander in. His intentions of letting us know that a right-hander was needed is correct. We were prepared for the routine batting line-up. But when the set batter sends a message you need to listen to that. I would have been happier had Kusal Perera finished it off,” the 55-year-old said.
“It’s disappointing as a coach, but we have to take the criticism as well, as a coach, as a support staff, as a team. We are taking the responsibility, you can’t go away from that,” the legendary allrounder added.
Sri Lanka has struggled with losing wickets in bunches throughout the series. In the first match, they collapsed to 9 wickets for just 30 runs, and in the second match, they lost 7 wickets for 31 runs. In the third T20I, despite being well-placed at 110-1, they crumbled to 132-8 after losing 7 wickets for only 22 runs.
