Dambulla: India were handed the worst ODI defeat in terms of balls remaining by Sri Lanka here and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded nothing worked right for his side in the tri-series match today except for the fact that Yuvraj Singh returned among runs.
"Nothing worked today. We didn't get the kind of start we needed and so not enough runs for the bowlers to defend after batting first. Sri Lankan bowlers bowled in the right channels and pushed us into making the mistakes," Dhoni said after his side's eight-wicket defeat. India now face a must-win situation against New Zealand in their last match to enter Saturday's final and Dhoni admitted that it is now or never for his side.
"Next game is like a semi-final now. We have to do well in that match or we have to pack up and go back home," the Indian skipper said. He said the only positive thing India derived from today's match was Yuvraj Singh, who returned to the playing XI after missing a match due to dengue fever.
Yuvraj was the sole Indian batsmen to produce some resistance before the disciplined Lankan seam bowling attack with a gritty 64-ball 38.
"Yuvraj batted well. That was the positive thing. He is a crucial man at the middle order. He is the kind of guy who can graft for runs and also hit big shots. His performance today must have boosted his confidence," Dhoni said. Meanwhile, Dhoni's counterpart Kumar Sangakkara said his bowlers set up the platform for the easy win, which ensured Sri Lanka's place in the final of the tri-series.
"We would have batted first had we won the toss. But our bowlers, from the first ball on, bowled great lines and great lengths. We have got a varied attack," he said.
He also said that opening with the batting Mahela Jayawardene was a tactical decision which paid off.
"We opened with Mahela Jayawardene because sometimes he is wasted in the middle order. If he bats that well, we can let him bat freely at the top. This might be something we might see more often," Sangakkara said.
Man-of-the-match Thisara Perera, who notched up his maiden five-wicket haul today, said, "I really enjoyed this match, these are my best figures. Hopefully I can carry on from this performance. I also work hard on batting and hard hitting too." PTI
