Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Jul 24: In-form Virat Kohli's dismissal proved to be the key in India's crushing nine-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the second one-dayer here, feels skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"We lost too many wickets too quickly. After Virat fell, we failed to make a comeback. It was a disappointing day for us," said Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony.
After bundling out India for a paltry 138 in only 33.3 overs, Sri Lankan openers Upul Tharanga (59 not out) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (50) added 119 runs for the opening wicket as the hosts exacted a sweet revenge to draw the series level at 1-1.
Dhoni said the team needs to learn from mistakes and rectify them in the games ahead.
"We need to learn from our experiences and not think too much about these defeats. You need to learn from mistakes but don't keep them in mind," he said.
Dhoni also praised opener Gautam Gambhir who waged a lone battle and was the last man out on 65.
"Gambhir batted really well. In the last five games, we have had some good performances from our batsmen and bowlers."
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene praised his team's all-round performance and said the guys are hungry for more.
"It's funny what two days does to you. Last night, we made quite a few mistakes and we did a lot of good things today. We have shown that we can bounce back, the guys have the hunger," he said.
Opener Tharanga came in for some special praise from the captain. "Good to see the old Upul back in form. I haven't seen Upul bat like this in a while, his timing, his form."
Jayawardene lauded pacers Thisara Perera (3-14) and Angelo Mathews (3-19) who ran through India's top-order.
"Thisara and Angelo did the job for us," he said. Man-of-the-match Perera thanked his team-mates for showing faith in his abilities.
"Very happy with my performance. Have to thank my team-mates. I don't think too much about my performance, just want to give my best on the field," he said.
