IND vs SL 2017, 1st T20I: Want To Play Our Own Game and Focus on Our Side - Thisara Perera
With some big names missing from the Indian line-up for the upcoming T20I series, it will be a good opportunity for Sri Lanka to win a bilateral T20 series in India.
Unlike their disastrous performance in Tests and ODIs this year, the Islanders have enjoyed good outings in T20Is, winning series in South Africa and Australia. They can replicate those heroics in India too, as the hosts have several new faces in their ranks like Shreyas Iyer, Basil Thampi, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Hooda and Jaydev Unadkat.
However, Sri Lanka skipper Thisara Perera is not overthinking about the opposition and stated the visitors are only focusing on their team.
“We don’t think about their team because we want to play our own game and focus on our side,” Perera said ahead of the series-opener. “We have to plan for their batsmen and bowlers; we don’t think if they are new or old players, we just want to play our natural game.”
Perera further said his team is seeking a fresh start going into the new series. The Islanders were on the verge of winning the ODI series after running away with the first game in Dharamshala but were blown away in the following two games.
“We had a bad series, but we still have to take the positives from our first match in Dharamsala and flush out the negatives. It’s a new series; we had a good practice session today, so we want to give a good performance tomorrow,” Perera said.
The visiting captain also said the Sri Lankan team-management would take a final call on the team’s composition only after assessing the conditions. At the same time, he hinted the team-management might favour the youngsters for the upcoming game.
“We will take a call after analysing the conditions tonight and tomorrow morning,” Perera said. “Our management will come and inspect if there is dew and then we will decide tomorrow morning.”
“Normally we have young players for T20s, we have to use them, else there is no point in bringing them from Sri Lanka. As a captain, I have to give the youngsters more confidence; They have to give their 100 percent. Personally, I know they have a good mindset so they can do well,” he added.
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Thisara Perera
