Ahead of the first ODI against India, Sri Lanka skipper Upul Tharanga has said his team needs to put the humiliating loss in the Test series behind and start afresh in the upcoming ODI series.
With very little going their way in 2017, Sri Lanka’s miseries were further compounded after being whitewashed in the recently-concluded Test series against Virat Kohli & Co.
While the Islanders were not expected to win the series against the world number one team, their poor performance surprised one and all. The Island nation conceded 600-plus totals in two of the three Tests and was asked to follow-on in the last two games before succumbing to innings defeats.
But with the team now set to play another format, Tharanga has urged his teammates to put the setbacks behind. Tharanga, who will be leading Sri Lanka for the first time as the permanent captain, said that the victory over the Men in Blue in the Champions Trophy would be a confidence booster for the hosts.
“We have got to forget the Test series and the mistakes we made. We are heading for a new format and are looking forward to it. That’s the most important thing,” Tharanga said.
“India have been very consistent in the last three-four years. In comparison, we lack consistency, and that has been a big drawback. Our fielding has been terrible. We have dropped catches,” he added. “But we have the confidence having beaten India in the Champions Trophy (in June). No one thought that we would beat them. If you take the last series, our batting was also good.”
The visitors have rested their Test bowling line-up of Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav for the limited-overs series. However, Tharanga is under no illusion that India will still have a formidable lineup spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
“In their ODI side, Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) is their number one bowler. They are without a few bowlers, but it doesn’t make their attack any weaker. We cannot under-rate their attack. They have done well in tournaments like IPL. We have to work hard and play well,” Tharanga said.
“I thought we did not play to our strengths during the Test series. We have done well in the ODIs in the last ten years but the last 18 to 20 months have been a bit different. We have lacked confidence. You cannot give the opposition too much chance, and when chances come your way, you have to grab them with both hands,” he added.
The left-handed batsman further confirmed that he would be batting at number four but kept the cards close to his chest when asked about the playing XI.
“I will be batting at number four. We have not selected the final side, but we are thinking on the lines of two seamers, and then Angelo is able to bowl a couple of overs. We have also got Thisara Perera. If he can bowl a few overs that enable us to balance the side. That exactly what we lacked in the last couple of months,” he said.