GQEBERHA(South Africa): Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya reflected on his side’s 109-run defeat to South Africa in the second Test and said that the batters need to score more runs, reported ICC Cricket.
On Day 5 of the second Test, South Africa flattened Sri Lanka with a 109-run victory to complete a 2-0 series whitewash over the Asian side.
On the final day of the Test and the series, the equation came down to Sri Lanka 143 runs away from levelling the series, while South Africa just five wickets away from a clean sweep.
The hosts upped the ante to take the series away and fortify their position en route to the World Test Championship final, which will be held next year in London.
Jayasuriya felt the game was pretty tight, and his side fought hard to stay in contention till the last day of the Test under conditions that are different from the one they play at home. Speaking after the match, Jayasuriya said that the Sri Lanka batters need to convert their scores into hundreds.
“Batsmen have to convert their scores into hundreds – 30s and 40s aren’t enough. It’s tough on these wickets, but at least two batters have to score hundreds on a tour like this. We didn’t get that. All we got were two 80s,” Jayasuriya was quoted by ICC as saying.
The head coach accepted that Sri Lanka missed their chance to book their place in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final at the iconic Lord’s.
“I think the batters by now know the value of hundreds on the road, having played in a place like England recently as well. We missed that this time. Although there was a lot of effort from the senior batters, I think if they assess themselves individually, they will realise it wasn’t enough,” he added.
Jayasuriya also hailed Kamindu Mendis and said that he is a key player on the side.
“Kamindu Mendis is a key player. In every Test match almost he was in the runs, aside from this series. If you saw the way he batted in this series, it was still with a lot of confidence. You can’t expect a batter to hit 50 or 100 every innings – that’s why you have six or seven batters,” he added.
After a 2-0 series defeat, Sri Lanka will host Australia for two Tests against in January next year. (ANI)