Errors proved costly - Strauss

Andrew Strauss: England skipper eyeing redemption for his team in Colombo

I can understand (questions over my future) but it's not something I'm focusing on. It's not the sort of question I'm going to answer in the middle of a series. My focus is very much on winning the next game. It would be wrong of me to think anything else at this stage.

Andrew Strauss
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England captain Andrew Strauss conceded his team made too many mistakes as they slumped to a 75-run defeat against Sri Lanka in the opening Test in Galle.

They have now lost all four Tests since the turn of the year, with Sri Lanka's spinners picking up where their Pakistani counterparts left off in the United Arab Emirates.

Man-of-the-match Rangana Herath, who took 12 wickets in the match, and Suraj Randiv accounted for all 10 of England's batsmen in the second innings, which fell well short of an imposing target of 340 despite 112 from Jonathan Trott.

And Strauss admits the team as a whole failed to perform.

"We're bitterly disappointed," he told Sky Sports. "In truth we made too many mistakes to win the game.

"We fought very hard and there were some outstanding performances from James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Jonathan Trott. But we left ourselves with too much to do.

"All credit to Sri Lanka, they put us under pressure, outplayed us and deserved the victory.

"There's no room for mistakes. If you make them you've got be lucky to get away with them and this game we weren't. We were in a great position to make use of the wicket but we all fell a bit too softly.

"However, we've got one more game to show we can play better cricket in this part of the world."

Poor form

Strauss' position as captain is starting to come under scrutiny after a poor run of form; he has just one century in his last 48 innings.

"I can understand (questions over my future) but it's not something I'm focusing on," he said.

"It's not the sort of question I'm going to answer in the middle of a series. My focus is very much on winning the next game. It would be wrong of me to think anything else at this stage.

"I feel in good form but you're judged on your performances and I haven't performed well enough.

"My job in the side is to score runs, the same as any other batsman, and I haven't scored as many as I would have liked in the last 12 months or so. That's very frustrating but hopefully I'll put it right next week.

"If you keep getting to 30 I don't think that is a terminal decline unless you're very unfit, which I don't think is the case with me."

Trott heroics

England were in with a chance of pulling off their record run chase when Trott and Matt Prior put on 81 for the fifth wicket either side of lunch.

But Prior's departure, sweeping straight into Lahiru Thirimanne's lap at short-leg, was the start of a collapse that saw England's last six wickets go down for 31 runs.

"I think it was a great Test match with regards how the momentum was shifting," said Trott. "They had taken the new ball which came on (to the bat) and really helped us in the 10 overs after tea.

"I was really disappointed Matt and I couldn't go on, unfortunately he got out in a weird way."

On England's struggles against spin this winter, Trott added: "People are going to have ups and downs in cricket with regards to form.

"It is up to each individual to make sure they are in the best shape they can be. The guys are working hard as a team and individually.

"Unfortunately we seemed to be on the wrong end this time, but there is still another game around the corner."