We knew the importance of starting this test series strongly and its being really pleasing to see how well the team has responded to that challenge. The top order took responsibility with the bat, showing the necessary application required, and the bowlers, especially Murali and Ajantha, have been brilliant.
I think it must have been the first time since the early days of his career that the pre-match build-up has not focused on Murali. The excitement around Ajantha has been incredible.

However, the old master showed why he is the world’s best bowler with a masterful exhibition against the Indian top order. We were all very happy that Ajantha was able to make his debut on Wednesday. He earned the call-up with his outstanding performances in the one-day team and we were confident he’d form a formidable partnership with Murali. As expected, he settled into the Test arena with the same ease that he broke into the one-day team.

During the past two days we’ve seen spin bowling of the highest quality. It’s been fascinating to watch them in action. India were rightly disappointed after their batting in the first innings, but you have to give credit to Murali and Ajantha. As a batsman, I’d certainly not want to face them in these conditions replying to 600 for 6 declared. I’m sure Murali will enjoy having Ajantha around because it will help maintain pressure – indeed it will increase the pressure on the batsmen. Ajantha will also benefit from Murali. It seems a perfect partnership and its fantastic news for Sri Lanka.

It’s still early days for the technology trial but I think the referrals system is working well. It has added another dimension to the game and as players; we have greater confidence in the decision-making.
It should prevent obvious errors and will ensure that a greater percentage of right decisions are made – which is what you want as a sportsman.

What is also clear, though, is that the use of technology does not remove the human element in decision-making. On the contrary, the third umpire now has a crucial role in evaluating and reviewing the evidence available to him. Different umpires may differ in their interpretation and that will need to be monitored.
The system has also added a new strategic twist to the game with the captain even more under the spotlight than before.

We discussed it at length and we felt that we would not refer the 50-50 decisions. With only three unsuccessful appeals per innings you can’t afford to squander them, especially when you have guys like Murali and Ajantha bowling. We missed one on Friday because we all thought bat hit pad first, but have otherwise made the right calls. There is a big responsibility on the wicket-keeper and the bowler.

Mahela is fortunate in this regard that Murali is a very shrewd judge of where the ball pitches. You can’t be emotional, you need to make a sound, rational judgment in seconds. We need to see how well the system copes with the inherent problem that TV pictures are two-dimensional and therefore sometimes less conclusive than seen with the naked eye.

However, I still think you have to use technology for things like low catches. We just need to make sure the umpires get the best possible angles and pictures possible. We also need to work out what other technologies can be made available to the umpires. I understand there are concerns regarding Snicko, which may not always untangle whether ball hit pad, strap or bat, but HotSpot seems to be a useful tool and would help with edges. I believe the ICC are testing this out now, which is sensible.