Sri Lankan head coach Chandika Hathurusingha is ‘disappointed’ by the way the Islanders let England off the hook in both innings after losing a close second Test by 57-runs and three-match series at Pallekele.

Hathurusingha believes that Sri Lanka’s failure to keep the momentum going on in both matches, especially the failure of their tail to put some good show on the board cost them the Test series at home. The coach also said that Sri Lanka had already lost the second Test in their first innings.

He told reporters at the post-match press conference in Pallekele, “If you remember this game, I think we lost it in the first innings. When we took nine wickets - the last wicket put on 60, and the way they made runs was disappointing. In the second innings there, were times where we were in the game and we let them off the hook. There was no pressure. Those are the things that are key for us, to win consistently away from home, or at home. Those are the things we need to discuss.”

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan also acknowledged that England was the better side than them, but both games were close and the result could have been something else.

Hathurusingha signed off by saying, “We're looking at the bigger picture. This is the first series we lost this year. We won against South Africa 2-0. In these two games, there were very close games. We had the opportunity to win both games at times. England played better cricket than us. We have to accept that. We have to learn from these mistakes. I think those mistakes we can easily correct. It's about certain decisions. The skill is still there - that's what I'm banking on. That's the hope that I have with this team.”

(With News18 Inputs)