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Untitled Document
 I would have batted first: Jayawardene
18th Aug 2008 21:59 IST
Agencies
Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene said it was a good toss to lose in the hindsight as he would have chosen to bat against India in the morning in the one-day opener in Dambulla today.
"Looks like it (was a good toss to lose). But I would have still batted (if I had won the toss)," Jayawardene told reporters after thrashing India by eight wickets.
"First 45 minutes would always have been tough. But if you have got through that period and got 225 runs on board it would have been a much tougher score to chase down on this," he added.
Jayawardene said it was not an easy wicket but felt it was an ideal one-day track.
"It was not easy wicket. Even when we were batting it was not easy with the new ball. But we managed to get through which is the most important.
"It was a very good one day wicket. Because with the new ball it (wicket) is going to do a bit. There is a bit bounce on it. There is a bit of dew for the first eight overs maximum but after that there is a seam moment but that seam was there when we were batting," he added.
The home side captain said he was elated after an unexpectedly facile win against India but now it would be important to concentrate on various aspects of their game.
"When we started the game we did not expect it like this (to win easily). I take it that it is important to start well when you start a five-match series. I thought we bowled very well, hit the right areas, kept lot of pressure on Indian batsmen and created opportunities," Jayawardene said.
"I am happy with the start we got. But then it is just a start. We have another four games to play. We need to make sure that we concentrate very well.
"There are areas which we can improve. We just need to make sure that we pin point that and work harder. It is not just about this series. For us as a group we need to keep working harder," he added.
Jayawardene said his side would not lower its guard as he expected India to come back strongly in the series.
"Yes, definitely they will come back strongly. They (India) have got a very good side. They will definitely come back strongly. They have got lot of talented individual players who can just change the match for them. We need to make sure that we play the same brand of cricket that we played."
On Virender Sehwag's absence, he said, "I do not know. But he is a big game player. We don't play with names we play with the opposition we have got. He is a big name player. It is important for them to have him. But for us we are playing against India." |
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