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Mahela keen on wrapping up series
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ASIANAGE on 30 July, 2008 02:53:43
 
By Our Correspondent
Galle
July 30: A look at Test history suggests that all good teams that have held
sway over a considerable length of time have been able to achieve that only by
constantly pushing for more and not getting complacent. Mahela Jayawardene has
enough reasons to think ahead after his team had played a near perfect match at
the SSC.
The Lankan captain, however, is doing anything but. "To improve on what we did
at the SSC and be more consistent is our goal. Rankings do not make a
difference. We will like to go out there and play to the best of our potential,"
Jayawardene said here on the eve of the second Test against India.
The hosts would like to wrap the series here itself and not allow India a
lifeline ahead of the third and final game. Jayawardene said their approach
would be the same. "We are pretty confident with the win we had. It’s
important that we secure the series win here. We will definitely be going in the
same frame of mind which we had going into the first match of the series and
that is to win."
Conditions here are not very different from those in Colombo. The strong breeze
coming off the sea will give an edge to the medium pacers especially on the
first morning. "When we played England, it had a bit for the new ball bowlers
but there had been a lot of rain and the wicket had a bit of moisture in it.
There could be a bit of bounce but nothing significant," noted Jayawardene.in
the last game. He had a big smile when I handed the ball to him. We just want
him to continue doing that. It’s important that we keep him the way he is."
Jayawardene signed of in good humour when asked if he would like to take the
Galle wicket wherever he goes, saying "They do charge us a lot for extra luggage
these days so I won’t be able to carry that!" With his team’s clinical
performance in Colombo, the skipper can afford to be jovial.