Jayasuriya laments poor execution after record loss
Sri Lanka’s crushing innings and 242-run defeat at the hands of Australia in Galle highlighted glaring deficiencies in batting resilience, bowling penetration and fielding, and head coach Sanath Jaysuriya wants the players to address them before the next encounter.
Jayasuriya lamented the team’s failure to control the crucial first session after losing the crucial toss.
“We dropped two or three catches and didn’t review crucial decisions. Fielding was a key issue. Dropping those chances early in the first session changed the game. Had we taken those wickets, the story would have been completely different,” he admitted.
Australia capitalised on Sri Lanka’s mistakes, with Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith expertly negotiating a slow surface.
“They adjusted really well, played both on the front and back foots, and utilised both sides of the wicket. They simply outplayed us,” Jayasuriya conceded.
The Australians, bowling slightly quicker, extracted more from the surface but Sri Lankan bowling in their usual pace struggled to make an impact.
“Our bowlers tried to increase their pace, but it wasn’t effective. The wicket was slow, and after being re-laid, it takes time to settle. By the third or fourth day, it played like a typical Galle wicket, but the damage was already done,” Jayasuriya observed adding that bowlers must modify their bowling approach for the next match.
Jayasuriya was unequivocal in his assessment of Sri Lanka’s batting collapse, stressing that the wicket was not to blame.
“For a long time, we haven’t seen such a good wicket in Galle. There was a serious problem with shot selection and handling situations. Experienced players must show more maturity. They’ve played enough cricket to take control of these moments,” he explained.
He in particular was disappointed with players failing to convert starts into big scores.
“We always talk about this. Khawaja, Smith, and (Josh) Inglis got good starts and turned them into big scores. That’s what we lack—conversion and consistency.”
With Sri Lanka reeling from a humbling defeat, Jayasuriya emphasised the need for improvement ahead of the next game which starts on Thursday at the same ground.
“We can’t afford to collapse in a single day. Test cricket is about handling pressure and adapting to situations. Our players must learn to navigate these challenges professionally.”