We can perform much better than we did - PoM Liyanage

• If we believe in ourselves we will be able to beat even stronger teams, says Liyanage 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Janith Liyanage

Richard Ngarava

Player of the Match Janith Liyanage whose knock of 95 played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka beating Zimbabwe by two wickets in the second ODI at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Monday believes that his team is capable of performing better than they did.

After the Lankan bowlers had rolled over Zimbabwe for 208, Sri Lanka lost their first six wickets for 112 in a pathetic display of batting. If not for Liyanage’s match winning innings and some assistance from the late order batters, Sri Lanka could have easily lost the contest.   

“If you take our team there are a lot of young and experienced players. It is a good side. During a match these types of situations can happen. When we batted, the ball was swinging and Zimbabwe had some good bowlers to exploit the conditions. It was not easy out in the middle batting against them. We were always on the front foot,” said Liyanage at the post-match press conference.

“Unfortunately, we lost cluster of wickets, but we were mentally strong that we should win this match. During a match there can be small mistakes made on the field, but as a team we have a very good side. Zimbabwe is a good side too, but if we believe in ourselves we will be able to beat even stronger teams. As a team I think we can perform much better than we did.”

Liyanage in his quest to keep Sri Lanka in front of the DLS par score sacrificed his wicket when he was looking good to score his maiden ODI century, but he said he had no regrets.

“More than the century, winning is important. We were about five runs behind the DLS par score so I thought of forcing the pace. If I hit a six we will be able to win the match in case the match was stopped due to rain. I thought of winning the game for Sri Lanka, that’s why I went for that stroke. Although I got out, we managed to win. It makes me very happy.”

“Even though wickets fell cheaply, everyone in the team is capable of scoring runs. I thought if I held up one end we would be able to win. With the rain, the wicket played a bit slow and it gave an advantage to the tall Zimbabwean quick’s who were moving the ball a lot. But we cannot take that as an excuse for the batting failures, we should be prepared to face anything that comes before us. My plan initially was to defend and once I got set, to bat until the end.”

The 28-year-old right-hander from St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya has been a consistent scorer in domestic cricket and got the break to make his debut in ODIs when he is in good form with the bat. 

“Over the past three years, I have been the Player of the Series twice in one-day tournaments,” said Liyanage. “This year too I am the highest run scorer. I thought to myself if I can score for my club (Ragama CC), I can also extend that run to the national team as well. I had the confidence that I could do it and my teammates also gave me their support to boost my confidence further. I knew if I performed well I would get selected. When I was batting in the middle I thought of making it my day and if possible to stay till the end and win the match for Sri Lanka. I nearly managed to do that.”

Left-arm fast bowler Richard Ngarava who almost bowled his team to victory with his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs said, “We play every match to win but this one went the other way. But I am really proud of my team. Each and every single player of the team was obviously upset we lost, despite me taking a five but that’s where we are. We just need to lift ourselves up.”

“When we were dismissed for 208 you’ll never know which way the match is going. All you need is 10 good balls to get 10 wickets and we had 50 overs to do that, but we only got eight. We lost five wickets for 26 runs, which we are always going to improve. From where we were sitting nicely on 182-5, losing those five wickets is where we lost the grip. We always look to what’s coming next, whatever the scoreboard is being put we just look to defend that.”

About taking five wickets, Ngarava said that their team media manager Willy had dreamt of him taking five wickets and told him so before the match. “That sought of gave me a push to stay up there, this is the game to do it. But it was a long time coming. This is what every bowler wants in any version of the game.”