"As a captain I’m very happy, but at the same time there are areas for improvement as well" - Dhananjaya
Danushka Aravinda at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium: Sri Lankan Test cricket captain Dhananjaya de Silva expresses his satisfaction with winning the first Test match, noting that the team has areas to improve.
Dhananjaya made these remarks during the press conference held after winning the first Test match against Bangladesh.
“When we saw it looked like a fast bowling wicket, we went with three seamers. It paid off at the end of the day. The game is going on day by day, so the wicket was dying. The pace was getting less for the fast bowlers. I am very happy the way they bowled in this game.
“We play with three seamers back at home. I think if you can get the new ball moving in any wicket, that’s the wicket-taking options for the captain. Rather than going with the spinners, I am happy with to go with the fast bowlers.
“I have been captaining the A side and clubs in Sri Lanka. It is not new to me. Three ex-captains and the ODI captain is in the team so they also support me. The management as well. It is not a burden for me. It is an opportunity. I am having a good time.
“As a captain I’m very happy, but at the same time there are areas for improvement as well. Things that we need to discuss with the coaching staff and fix quickly. There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to the batting, so it’s important to that we look into those weak areas before the next tour. I won’t really have that much time in the middle for myself if the others score runs.”
“What I’m really happy with regard to Kamindu is how he’s comeback. He was knocking on the door of the national side for quite some time, and I think he’s made the most of the opportunity he’s been given. Also the number seven slot is somewhere I’ve batted in before as well, so I think that role suits him. He’s technique is solid, he has power, he is very smart. So I don’t think we made a mistake in picking him.”
“Sadeera, he’s been given opportunities as well but I don’t think he’s made the most of them as of late. On top of that, in the ODIs he didn’t score that many, so the thinking was to give him a break. He hasn’t been dropped. The plan is for him to work on his flaws and then give him a chance to come back into the team. That will also refresh his mindset. More than that, Kamindu has been in very good form so the idea was to get the most out of him.”
“More than looking at the rankings, I mainly look at things from a match by match perspective. Now that this match is over, I’m looking at what we can do in the coming game. I’m only planning on how to win that game. Beyond that any movement in the rankings will happen as a result of that, but we’re simply planning for one match at a time.”
Watch Dhananjaya de Silva's post-match press briefing below.
