Colombo, February 22 – Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka did not shy away from admitting his team's batting failure after they were bowled out for just 95 and suffered a 51-run defeat to England, despite a disciplined bowling effort that had earlier kept the opposition to a modest total.
Reflecting on the match, Shanaka expressed disappointment at how Sri Lanka had wasted a strong bowling performance with a rash and ill-judged batting display.
"It's very disappointing, but at the same time, we had a lot of positives in the game. So I think we kept them to a total that was at least 20 runs below par. I expected my players to bat well," Shanaka said after the game, summarizing the factors behind the low-scoring outcome.
Sri Lanka's bowlers had executed their plans effectively to restrict England to 145, giving the hosts a realistic chance in familiar conditions. However, Shanaka was clear that the pitch was not to blame for the dramatic collapse, insisting that the conditions were playable and that poor decision-making with the bat proved costly.
"It was a combination of everything. I think the pitch played well. Certainly, it was a bit slow in the first innings, but with the lights on, it settled down. We played poorly. All the bowlers in our team bowled well; it wasn't that they (England) bowled really well. We played some rash shots at critical moments," he said.
The captain also emphasised the strength of Sri Lanka's bowling attack, which had consistently kept opponents in check throughout the tournament.
"In this World Cup, we tried with five main bowlers. I mean, including the underdogs. So it's a strong attack, and I can restrict most sides to lower scores," Shanaka explained.
Despite the early wickets, Sri Lanka had planned to pace their chase and take the game deep, but the approach unraveled under pressure.
"The plan was to take it deep (during the chase). We have played a lot of cricket in these conditions, it was about taking it deep and taking the positive options, which we didn't take. So eventually, it was one bad game that's not affordable in a World Cup, but we need to bounce back in the next couple of games," the captain mentioned.
Shanaka, however, remained confident in his batting unit's ability to respond strongly. "As I mentioned, it was just one bad game. The top four have done really well recently, so I'm pretty sure that they will do well in the upcoming games," he concluded.
With crucial fixtures ahead, Sri Lanka will now look to regroup quickly and rediscover the batting form that had carried them through earlier matches.