SRI LANKA LOOKING TO WRAP UP SERIES TODAY
I believe it's the other way around. When we get squeezed into a corner we win games
Sri Lanka will go all out to clinch today's third ODI at Pallekele in Kandy and seal the five match series in their favour according to skipper Angelo Mathews.
"Definitely (Going to wrap up the series). The boys are playing good cricket. We won quite convincingly. The Proteas isn't a side we can usually beat convincingly. But we can't be off guard. We need to be positive and play good cricket to beat them" Mathews said on the eve of the match.
South Africa skipper AB de Villiers however believes that his side will fight back like cornered tigers today as it is a "must win" situation for the visitors if they are stay afloat in the series having lost the first two ODIs.
"I believe it's the other way around. When we get squeezed into a corner we win games. We wake up a bit late in ODI series' especially. We lose the first one and the second one maybe, and then all of a sudden, "whoah", let's wake up and start playing cricket now. It is a big pressure game" said the bearded wicket keeper batsman.
"We have a good chance to win, if not definitely win. I truly believe in the boys and we're going to have to win this one first before we talk about the 4th or 5th ODI's" he added.
Sri Lanka have been strengthened by the return of regular skipper Angelo Mathews who served a two match penalty for the slow over rate of the team in a game in the West Indies two weeks ago. But Sri Lanka are unlikely to field a full strength team today either as left hander Lahiru Thirimanne who strengthens the middle order has not recovered from a thumb injury suffered during the second ODI on Tuesday.
This gives the selectors another golden opportunity blood the promising talent Angelo Perera and test his skills with a view to groom some youngsters before the 2015 World Cup especially in the face of the fact that several seniors of the team are well over 35 years of age.
However, 32 year old Jehan Mubarak who played his first ODI innings in more than four years on Tuesday is in line to get the nod, but the team will wait till this morning to see the wicket and decide if it is a spinner - Ajantha Mendis or Sachitra Senanayake or a batsman who will replace Thirimanne.
"We still haven't decided on the combination. We need to have a chat with selectors. We didn't go too much into the final eleven" said Mathews but hinted Mendis has a big chance to make it final eleven.
"The wicket seems pretty dry and it would be good if we can use another spinner. If we use another spinner, Ajantha will be a big candidate tomorrow" added Mathews. Mathews said that Pallekele wicket will not be as slow as Colombo and would favour seam bowling, which gives an advantage to the South Africans.
"The wicket here seams a bit and there's a bit of lateral movement as well. It depends on the curator. Whatever the wickets that we get, we need to play. The Proteas are a dangerous team. We can't put our guard down. We need to be positive from the word go" said Mathews.
South African skipper de Villiers was overjoyed that his team was shaping up well after the thrashing they received in the first game and was confident that they would turn tables today.
"From the bowling aspect it was a lot more positive in that last game. I was proud of the way the boys bounced back after the first performance. I think we take a lot more out of that game than the first one. We're much more used to the conditions and the opposition. Our plans were a lot better to the batters and we were in control of the plans and that's always a good sign for me". De Villiers brushed off suggestions that Lasith Malinga posed a huge threat despite the slinger taking a wicket in the first over of both previous ODIs.
"Lasith hasn't done a lot of damage, but we wouldn't want to lose a wicket every first over of every game. We had a little chat about how to face Malinga before. It's not the first time it's happened. You've just got to keep it simple and stick to the basics against him I guess" added de Villiers.