Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana said that the defending champions England had underestimated the Islanders and paid the price for it in the one-sided ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Bengaluru.
The Sri Lankan bowlers wreaked havoc on England's formidable lineup with their remarkable accuracy on a helpful pitch, restricting them to a mere 156 runs. England had opted to bat first after Jos Buttler won the toss.
Then, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Pathum Nissanka both smashed unbeaten half-centuries as Sri Lanka chased down the target in 25.4 overs to register a memorable 8-wicket win over England on October 27 in Bengaluru.
Maheesh Theekshana said at the post-match press conference: “I think they underestimated our team because we also lost three games and we only won against the Netherlands. That's why the result went our way because we backed our strength. We went in with a simple plan, so that's why we won the game today.”
He added, “In the first four games, we didn't bowl well in the middle overs. I think we lost three games because of our bowling. So, we did some practice sessions to get more discipline, all the fast bowlers did their hard work before the game so they know what they have to do in the game today.”
Theekshana admitted that M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch aided spinners, though it is known as a batting-friendly surface.
He said, “I have played an IPL match (here) and the pitch was different. (Today) there was a bit of turn, pace, and bounce. In that IPL match, the pitch was flat and scoring runs was relatively easy. I'm not implying that it was tough to accumulate runs in this match, as we managed to score 150 runs with just two wickets down.”
The spinner also said the win over England has boosted Sri Lanka’s confidence as they are aiming to reach the semifinals.
Theekshana signed off by saying, “Our confidence as a team has increased a lot. In this match, we got a very big victory. We are looking to play well in the upcoming four matches and reach the semifinals.”
With this massive win over England, Sri Lanka is now fifth in the CWC 2023 points table with 2 wins and 3 losses in 5 matches. While England’s semifinal hopes were severely dented by the loss against Sri Lanka.
(With PTI/IANS Inputs)
