We didn’t react well to pressure says Mahela Jayawardene – Cricket News Update
Sri Lankan skipper, Mahela Jayawardene, admitted http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 last night.
"I think we tried very hard, but this match changed in three or four overs in the middle," he said. "In the pressure situations we couldn't control the match."
After beating their opponents twice, once in the lead up to the tournament, and the other during the Super Eight round, the Lankans held edge in the all important last game at Colombo, especially after they had restricted the opposition to a manageable 138.
However, a batting collapse ruined Lankan hopes, with the team halted on a lowly 101. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TM-Dilshan-c2691 in just the second over of the run-chase.
That put the home side on the back foot, from which they never really recovered. Tight bowling from the Caribbean spinners forced http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779 into their shell, and once they fell, the middle-order buckled under pressure to hand the opposition a clear advantage.
A valiant fight was put forward by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/SL-Malinga-c2540 to seal an emphatic triumph for the Windies.
It was the away side’s first major title, since lifting the first two limited-overs World Cups in 1975 and 79 respectively, although they did manage to claim the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004.
The loss nonetheless, meant that the Lankans have finished runners up in two 50-overs World Cups, along with two World T20s, over the past five years. Mahela, who also resigned from the T20 captaincy in the aftermath of his side’s disappointing defeat, acknowledged that failure to handle pressure at crucial times cost us dearly.
"http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Marlon-Nathaniel-Samuels-c74804 batted really well and he took it away from us a little bit. But when we were put under pressure, we didn't react well to that. When those small mistakes add up, that's where you lose a match like a final, and that's what happened to us," the skipper added.
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