 Consistency is the key: Jayawardene
17th Aug 2008 20:10 IST
Agencies
Fresh from the Test-series win, Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene on Sunday cautioned his team against complacency and asked them to be consistent against India in the One-dayers beginning on Monday.
"We need to be very consistent. After the World Cup we lacked a bit of consistency. Probably lack of form and a few personal changes, but no excuses," Jayawardene said ahead of the first ODI.
"We didn't consistently maintain our standards. In the Asia Cup we managed to turn things around. We were very consistent with the bat, ball and in the field. That's the toughest thing for most of the international teams, to consistently be in that competitive level. We need to do the hard work that we have done," he added.
Jayawardene said the Indians were a talented lot so his team's strategy would surround their strengths and weaknesses.
"They have got lot of talent and they play a different game. As a team, they have their strengths and weakness. That's the area that we need to focus and execute our game plan," he said.
Asked about the bowling combination, Jayawardene said Ajantha Mendis would be their trump card but also emphasised the role of batsmen in the shorter version of the game. "It's a combined effort. Ajantha is just a trump card we have. An attacking option, but there are so many others as well," Jayawardene said.
"If you take generally, batting plays a big role. Whether you are batting first or chasing. Bowling is a factor as well. But in ODI cricket in general, putting runs on the board is crucial. But having a bowling attack that picks up wickets, you can fall back on that, but not everyday. We need to be very consistent," he said.
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