“We have got a very few or poor options in batting” Thilan Samaraweera

By Dhammika Ratnaweera

“There was nothing wrong with the Galle pitch, no demons on it, our batting options were very poor during the first innings of the first test against England. We didn’t bat well, honestly and that’s the bottom line,” said  Tilan Samaraweera at the end of the second day of the ongoing first test at the Galle International cricket stadium.

“It’s not a 200 pitch because on day two also it behaved really well. Our options were all wrong. Five to six guys were out for soft dismissals”. At one stage 40 for four wickets and top order were struggling with poor strokes. The specialist batting coach  Thilan Samaraweera put down his team’s dismal batting performance on the second day of the first Test against England at the Galle International Stadium to “poor batting options”.After England made a formidable total of 342 all out in the first innings Sri Lankans were struggling and all out for 203 in 68 overs with England are in commanding position with 139 runs lead.

“Not much technically more mindset. We know England’s spinners bowled with defensive field settings and our options were a little bit wrong,” said Samaraweera the former Sri Lankan middle order bat now turn out to be specialist batting coach under the head coach Hathurusinghe ..Moin  Ali  was the most successful bowler with taking 4 for 64 while other two spinners Adel  Rashied and Jack Leach (2/41) and  Adil Rashid (2/30) all together spinners took  eight wickets among  them.

However, cricket experts pointed out recent batting performance is not good enough under the Samaraweera’s service. Also, they have highly criticised about the inclusion of the Kusal Mendis who is a continuous failure on this series only making half-century against last one day game.

Meanwhile Dinesh Chandimal the test skipper is most likely to miss rest of the two test matches. When media ask Chandimal present groin strain  Samaraweera said he is under observation of the Physiotherapist and also going to get MRI scan for his injury before the second test which is normally scheduled to be held from  14 th  November at Pallekele. . Anyway Chandimal is was not on the field during the England second innings and that means he will bat after number six confirmed Samaraweera. In case of Chandimal,s absence of the rest of the two test Suranga Lakmal most probably wil captain the side. Anyway selectors never named any deputy skipper for the Sri Lanka test side .