England underestimated us, says Sri Lankan Spinner Theekshana after impressive win
Posted : 27 October 2023
Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana expressed his belief that England underestimated the quality of his team, which resulted in a resounding eight-wicket defeat for the defending champions in Bengaluru. Theekshana played a crucial role in a remarkable Sri Lankan bowling performance that limited England to a mere 156 runs in their first innings.
According to Theekshana, Sri Lanka's mixed results earlier in the tournament led to England underestimating the threat posed by his team. He commented, "I think they underestimated our team because we also lost three games and we only won against Netherlands. I think they underestimated us. That's why the result went our way because we backed our strength, we went with a simple plan, so that's why we won the game today."
Theekshana's own contribution, with figures of 1/21 in 8.2 overs, played a pivotal role in building pressure on England's middle order. However, it was his pace-bowling teammates, Lahiru Kumara (3/35) and Angelo Mathews (2/14), who set the stage for success.
Both Kumara and Mathews had not been part of Sri Lanka's previous game, with Mathews joining the squad as an injury replacement just this week, marking his first appearance in ODIs in nearly three years. The veteran Mathews' clever medium-pace deliveries caused several errors in the England lineup, leading to the dismissals of Dawid Malan (28) and Moeen Ali (15).
Kumara, with his relentless quality and an impressive display of pace bowling, combined bounce and movement with an astute line and length, ultimately proving too much for England on the day.
ADD A COMMENT :
Hot Topics
User name is required Email Id is required Comment is required
ADD A COMMENT :