Dav Whatmore: We failed to perform when pressure was on

Dav Whatmore

March 20, 2001

Dav Whatmore National Coach

We only have ourselves to blame on that dramatic last day at the Sinhalese Sports Club, but England deserve credit for the manner in which they played. I felt they grew stronger as the series progressed and outplayed us in the crucial moments, proving that they are a rejuvenated side, who possess a deal of self belief, have impressive skill levels, and a lot of experience.

We could have won in both Kandy and Colombo but didn't because we did not score sufficient runs. In the Third Test Match we failed to capitalise on an excellent position on the first day, when we had been 203 for three, and were bowled out for just 241. Then, in the second innings, we were bowled out for 81 in only 28 overs, which is just unacceptable. If the batsmen had buckled down a little more then we could have really put England under pressure.

Sri Lankan batsmen are naturally positive and it would be counterproductive to force them to play unnaturally. When you are playing a side like England though, who played slow methodical cricket throughout the series, you need to temper your aggression a little and take more calculated risks. It is difficult for players to find the balance, but too frequently in this series, we sold our wickets too cheaply.

Another area that we need to address is the fact that the Sri Lankan team is not winning the key sessions at the moment. England on the other hand, helped by an immensely experienced top order, played their best cricket in the tight pressure situations. We have to develop that ability to play under extreme pressure so that we can prosper in the vital periods of Test Matches.

Playing under pressure is a key skill that takes time to develop and you have to remember that the Sri Lankan team is still relatively inexperienced. This English team boasts well over 500 Test caps, but we had a number of players with just a handful of Test Matches behind them. That inexperience showed at times.

We have now lost three Test series in the last 12 months and there is pressure on all the team to start winning consistently. I don't feel, however, that there is the need for a wholesale change in strategy or personnel. You have to realise that there is a very fine line between success and failure. With greater luck in Kandy we would have wrapped up the series and the Colombo Test could have been very different.

Although our batting let us down in the last two Test Matches, there were some positive aspects that came of out the series. Chaminda Vaas bowled excellently throughout and regularly took crucial wickets at key moments. He was extremely accurate and reverse swung the old ball expertly. Kumar Sangakkara displayed remarkable composure for a young man and deserved a first Test hundred. Mahela Jayawardene had another impressive series and continues to get better and better.

Murali had a tough series, but I don't feel he bowled badly at all. England came with a plan to see him off, largely based upon padding him away. It worked too, as he took only 14 wickets at a very low strike rate, a relatively small return for such a great spinner. He should really have had 25 wickets, but was very unfortunate at times with leg-before decisions and bat pad catches.

We now have to put this series to bed, learn from our mistakes, and make sure we don't make them again when we play our next Test series against India in July. They though will pose different challenges to this England team. In the meantime we have an opportunity to get back some confidence in the One-Day Series that begins on Friday.

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