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England cannot handle pressure-Mahela

24 June 2014 06:33 am - 16     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene said England failed to handle the pressure on the fourth day of the second and final test on Monday and questioned the way home captain Alastair Cook had handled recent criticism.

England, chasing 350 to win, were staring defeat in the face at the close of play on 57 for five after Dhammika Prasad grabbed four wickets during a fiery spell of fast bowling.

Earlier, a test-best 160 from skipper Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka amass a second-innings total of 457 after starting the day in a tricky position on 212 for four.

"We've seen that under pressure they (England) are not quite up to it," said Jayawardene after having chipped in with a typically cultured knock of 79. "They were quite chirpy but they quietened down after the first hour. We know who's on top and who's not," he told reporters at Headingley.

Cook, on the receiving end of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash at the beginning of the year, has been criticised by former Australia great Shane Warne who branded the captain as "boring" and "unimaginative".

The out-of-form opening batsman made only 16 on Monday and is now without a test hundred for 24 innings. Former Sri Lanka skipper Jayawardene questioned the way Cook had responded to the recent criticism from Warne who is a regular pundit on Sky Sports television. "I feel for Alastair but it doesn't help arguing with commentators," he said. "That is something you can't control.

"You just need to control the things you can control out there and that is perform and carry your team through. I'm a great believer in forgetting things you can't control."

Jayawardene heaped praise on Mathews' knock and said, "Angelo batted really well in that situation, safeguarding the tail and taking the opportunity to go for those big shots when the field was in. He didn't have to take too many risks when the field was back, but whenever he needed to take a risk, he did. In that context, that showed that they were on the back foot and we just needed to drive that advantage we had forward."

However, Ian Bell, the England vice-captain and playing in his 100th Test backed Cook and said that the team will back the England skipper despite staring at a potential series defeat. Speaking in The Telegraph, Bell said that the tactics that England adopted during Mathews' knock of 160 was wrong. "If you want to stop somebody like that scoring runs you get them out don't you, you don't try and stop them from scoring runs," he said. (business insider)

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  Comments - 16

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  • Public Tuesday, 24 June 2014 06:46 AM

    You are right Mahela! Englishmen always get panicked without any suitable solution. They should have gone for Sri Lankan wickets by using Moeen Ali or slowed the scoring rate. Instead they used the fast bowlers and gave away too many runs without wickets. Our boys are more matured than Englishmen and teach them what is cricket and how to play.

    ANTON Tuesday, 24 June 2014 06:49 AM

    WE ARE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, DEFINITELY WE CAN WIN THE MATCH.

    Sathasivam Tuesday, 24 June 2014 07:03 AM

    . The main reason is that England had too much confidence
    after taking the new English coach,who worked for Sri Lanka in the Asian Cup.
    They souldn't have done this at all. Mentally the players mind
    depended on this coach,rather than their own performance

    Good lesson.

    Perera Tuesday, 24 June 2014 07:32 AM

    What about our big man so-called captain cools comments.

    He will surely put Anglo in negative and also some extend of criticism on Sri Lanka team.

    The so called person having ego.

    rosebud Tuesday, 24 June 2014 01:04 PM

    Well done boys You beat them at their own game - and in their own backyard via DM Android App

    S Tissera Tuesday, 24 June 2014 07:37 AM

    We need to win first and talk later or else we may end up the laughing stock of England.

    This series showed what spoil sports England are and to what extent they will go to win a match. the negative bowling yesterday reminded us of the same tack-ticks that England used when Sanath and Murali put them to the sword. in that famous Test win in Lords, Come on England show us why we called you gentlemen in the past or were we wrong right along ?

    lankan Tuesday, 24 June 2014 07:46 AM

    first finish the game, then give the pora talk

    srinath.gunaratne Tuesday, 24 June 2014 08:05 AM

    Let us win and talk!

    Lasantha Tuesday, 24 June 2014 08:09 AM

    It was not in Lords. It was in Oval cricket ground.

    Kiris Baba Amaray Tuesday, 24 June 2014 08:24 AM

    Good, but even SriLankan should not have over confidence, who knows the tale-endears also could perform well and draw the match. Anyway, 85% - 15% we could predict Lankans can do it.

    SAM_SPARROW Tuesday, 24 June 2014 09:15 AM

    Lets be fingers crossed. Game is yet to be finished.

    anura Tuesday, 24 June 2014 09:20 AM

    Good on you boys. Now please do that in style ,to make the big mouths silent. That is the only way to show the Englishmen that we Srilankans worthy of having three tests instead of two.

    Suq Madique Tuesday, 24 June 2014 10:04 AM

    Get ready for time delaying tactics by the Poms today. Thats their way of enforcing the 'spirit of the game'

    Adrian Wednesday, 25 June 2014 01:44 AM

    Well said Sir. He still feels that their cannot be a better captain than him.

    G.k Wednesday, 25 June 2014 03:31 AM

    Don't talk too much.. Out of all runs scored in 4 innings 50% goes to Angelo and Sanga.. which means others didn't handle the pressure either..

    kk Wednesday, 25 June 2014 02:45 PM

    Last time one played n won. This time 2 played 2nd won. Next time 3 played 3rd won. Really boring give England only one test


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