Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana took a dig at the defending champions England, saying that the defending champions underestimated the capability of their team in the World Cup. Jos Buttler-led side fell easily by eight wickets, thereby ending their chances of making it to the semifinals of the marquee event.
England batting crumbled again in the marquee event, as they were dismissed cheaply for 156 runs in 33.2 overs. Ben Stokes was the top scorer for the team with 43 runs, while comeback man Angelo Mathews showed his worth for Sri Lanka by grabbing two wickets in his return and Lahiru Kumara was Sri Lanka’s finest bowler with three wickets.
Speaking to the media after the game, Maheesh Theekshana believes that the England team underestimated the Sri Lankan team during their match and was happy with his team’s bowling performance against the defending champions. He praised his fast bowlers for their hard work and execution of their plans against England’s powerful batting order in the World Cup.
“I think they underestimated our team because we also lost three games and we only won against the Netherlands. That’s why the result went our way because we backed our strength. We went in with a simple plan, so that’s why we won the game today,” Maheesh Theekshana said.
“In the first four games, we didn’t bowl well in the middle overs. I think we lost three games because of our bowling. So, we did some practice sessions to get more discipline, all the fast bowlers did their hard work before the game so they know what they have to do in the game (today),” Maheesh Theekshana said.
Jos Buttler, the captain of England, chose to bat first after winning the toss on Thursday. With a 45-run partnership for the first wicket, Jonny Bairstow (30) and Dawid Malan (28) provided their team with a respectable start but both were unable to convert their starts, and they left quickly afterwards and the middle order batter found no clue to Sri Lanka bowling to bundle out for 156 runs in the game.
Our Confidence As A Team Has Increased A Lot – Maheesh Theekshana
Maheesh Theekshana is elated and optimistic about their chances of winning the remaining four games and progressing to the semifinals of the marquee event in India after their emphatic win over England on Thursday.
“Our confidence as a team has increased a lot. In this match, we got a very big victory. We are looking to play well in the upcoming four matches and reach the semifinals,” Maheesh Theekshana concluded.
After a poor start to the competition, Sri Lanka’s cricket team has bounced back with a victory over England, which has boosted their confidence. The return of seasoned player Angelo Matthews has been a boost for the team, as he took two crucial wickets to help Sri Lanka defeat England by eight wickets and improve their net run-rate.
