Desperate to win their first match of the tournament, senior Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara put up a brave front ahead of his team`s match against India in the ODI tri-series on Tuesday.
"Our strength has always been playing India away from India. India are always strong in India, with the smaller grounds and conditions they are used to. But away from home, we have always done very well against them," former skipper Sangakkara was trying to play a few mindgames knowing well that he can`t back his statements with facts which state otherwise.
"You have got to win a minimum of four games to have any chance of qualifying for the finals. Tomorrow is another opportunity."
"Yeah, I think so. We should have been one-up by now. Unfortunately, we aren`t. As soon as we get a game right with batsmen batting a lot better than they did and having more partnerships, we stand a very good chance."
"I think it was close because Angelo Matthews really got there in the end. There was a time when we were out of it. It was a case of not building enough partnerships and losing too many wickets too soon. It is a wicket that was quite flat in the end. We couldn`t capitalize on the opportunity."
"Once you have restricted them to 230, it`s a case of having enough batsmen in the shed by the time you hit the 40th over. We didn`t do that."
"I think the Perth wicket was good for us too. If you are a batsman and in the evening under the lights, the wicket settles down beautifully. You can really enjoy batting. Adelaide Oval too is as good for the batsmen over the years. Everyone is looking forward to it. Again as a unit, collectively we have got to be a bit smarter and also be able to win those big moments."
"Sachin and Dravid have been amazing players. They still are. If you take Dravid`s England tour, it was amazing. Three centuries and he carried the whole batting on his shoulders. Sachin is still scoring runs and is a valuable player."
"At the end of the day, you weigh up what happens in the dressing room. What influence everyone has in the dressing room is as important as the performance on the field.”
"It`s really a call for India and Dhoni and the selectors but it’s hard to ever underestimate or downplay the abilities of Sachin and Dravid. They have been two of the best ever produced."
"If you take record of players, whether it`s younger or older players, whoever has the best technique and adapts quicker always scores runs. You can`t be 20 and not performing and in the side just because you are young."
"It`s better to have, whoever is performing, be he 25, 30 or even 40, playing. Brad Hogg is a great example. Even at 40, he is bowling better than probably any other spinner in Australia when it comes to Twenty20. At the end of the day, performance is what really counts. All the talk about age comes into play, when you are not performing."
"Great players are there for a reason. Being able to do what is expected of them. That is why everyone expects everything from people like Sachin. They know they can do it, they have done it before, and everyone knows they can do it again."
"Once it is set, it's easier for anyone else like Angelo Matthews, who will probably take over at some time."
"Ever since he (Dilshan) took up the captaincy to the time he gave up, we have been very open with him. We have been very forthcoming with our views to him."
"That's always been the case. No use leaving anything unsaid or undone, better to give everything out. That’s always been the case with our team. We have always been very open and have very honest communication."
"If you do say there is too much cricket, the next question will be, why do you then play IPL, why don't you take a break off IPL. It's a tough one for a player to try and explain all that. Scheduling is important and to get context when it comes to international cricket is important."
"To play every series with a meaningful context, so that the players and the spectators all understand what that particular series is all about. Not just ad hoc tours to earn extra dollars, which again is important for the boards. So we need to strike the balance," he quipped.
