Sangakkara praises duo

India captain Dhoni laments failure to build on good start with the bat

Last updated: 11th May 2010  

Sangakkara praises duo

Kapugedera: Hit six to win game

Everyone in the squad has to keep working hard and no-one can sit back and relax as we have these young guys pushing everyone really hard

Kumar Sangakkara
Quotes of the week

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara praised Angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera after they helped secure a five-wicket win over India.

Chasing 164, Sri Lanka lost openers Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya before Sangakkara steadied the ship with 46.

However his side looked likely to have to settle for reaching 144 - a target that would knock India out of the ICC World Twenty20 - when he was dismissed.

Yet Mathews (46) and Kapugedera - who hit 37 not out - saw Sri Lanka home, the latter getting them over the finishing line with a six off the last delivery.

Pressure

"You never want to lose guys early, especially Mahela, who is in top form," Sangakkara said.

"But Dilshan got the momentum back for us and we talk about how capable our younger players are and they have shown how they can handle the pressure. Mathews and Kapugedera are going to be around for a long time.

"Everyone in the squad has to keep working hard and no-one can sit back and relax as we have these young guys pushing everyone really hard."

On chasing two targets, he added: "We were keeping an eye on 144. We said 'If we feel we can win this then we go on to chase this, but if we can't, we make sure we get 144'."

India had made 163 for five in their innings, though they had looked on course for much more than that when they reached the halfway stage on 90 for one.

"I was thinking they would make a big score," admitted Sangakkara.

"But we showed a lot of character to come back and not just cut down the runs, but take wickets too."

India counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted his side had failed to cash in on a good started as they exited the event at the Super Eights stage.

"We wanted to get off to a good start, and we did that. But the last four or five overs the way they bowled really restricted us and was very important."

Sky Bet Odds:

Click Here for Your Free Bet