Pallekele (Sri Lanka), February 16 Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka described his team's victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup here as "one of the best performances in recent times".
Aggressive opener Pathum Nissanka scored a brilliant 100 off 52 balls to guide Sri Lanka to an eight-wicket win and secure their place in the Super Eights.
"One of the best performances in recent times. I'm happy with how the first innings went," Shanaka said at the presentation ceremony.
Setting a target of 182 at this venue, Sri Lanka relied on Nissanka's unbeaten innings and Kusal Mendis's 51 off 38 balls to complete the task in 18 overs, leaving Australia's qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Sri Lanka suffered a setback when pacer Matheesha Pathirana had to be taken off after suffering a hamstring injury in his first over.
"We were still very positive after losing Pathirana. We had the confidence. We also knew about the pitch. Everyone showed a positive attitude. Everyone wanted to contribute. Losing Hasaranga and now Pathirana is a big loss. We need to take the good things from here," Shanaka said.
Speaking about Nissanka's magnificent innings, the captain said, "We knew it was due. I know there were a lot of discussions when we decided to bowl. Our team was confident. The boundaries are relatively short."
"It's wonderful to qualify for the Super Eights. After many years, we have made it to the next round. Hopefully, we will also make it to the semi-finals. I must thank the crowd."
Nissanka, who dominated the Australian bowlers with his explosive batting, praised the pitch at the Pallekele International Stadium.
"The pitch was very good today, and I played my normal game. I'm happy that I was able to get a hundred and win the game for the team."
"We needed a good power play. We had a good partnership with Kusal Mendis. And we were able to continue from there, and after that, it was just about continuing the innings and seeing it through."
When asked if the pitch improved in the second innings, Nissanka said, "Normally, we have a better pitch at Pallekele when we bat second. It's a bit easier to chase."
Speaking about his own form, he said, "I was just waiting for the ball to come and play to my strengths, and I'm happy that I got several of those balls to play to my strengths, and then I was able to get those boundaries."
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh believed 181 was a competitive total, even though Sri Lanka won by two overs. He agreed that his team had been outplayed.
"I thought it was a competitive total. We probably left ourselves a little short after the start we had. Well played to Sri Lanka, they outplayed us tonight. We know that at our best, we can make big scores. We just lost our way towards the end."
"Sri Lanka bowled really well towards the end. We knew we were a little short. There's not much else to say except that Sri Lanka outplayed us. We're in a difficult position now. There's a lot of emotion in the room right now. We haven't been at our best. We're disappointed at the moment," Marsh said.