Getting over-ambitious did us in

With the scoreline reading 2-1, the series is almost perfectly set up as we head to the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. I say almost because we would have loved to hold the edge going into this big game, but all credit to the Indians. Mahela Jayawardene comments.

With the scoreline reading 2-1, the series is almost perfectly set up as we head to the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. I say almost because we would have loved to hold the edge going into this big game, but all credit to the Indians. The two teams have fought hard, but that close first game where we nearly chased down 414 has proven to be the tie-breaker at this stage.

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I’ve played at Eden before and it is an experience that any cricketer will cherish. The large crowd really gets behind the Indian team, and as an opposition player it makes for a charged atmosphere that challenges and lifts you.

At Cuttack, we failed to adjust to the conditions quickly. The pitch was different in that it was on the slow side and turned a lot more.

We got off to a great start with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga and perhaps this played a part in us getting carried away and playing a few shots too many in the middle overs. This was not a 350-wicket, but rather one where 270 would have been a strong score. Especially, given the combination we used, with one less batsman, we lost wickets upfront and put ourselves under pressure.

During the game and even after, we spoke about how the pitch was getting slower and that we needed to make the mindset adjustment --- from aiming for 300-plus to something more realistic.

When I came in, things were set up to bat through the innings. But I got a very short ball, went for the pull and failed to find the gap. I’ve been hitting the ball well in the nets, and it felt good out in the middle, but I really need to bat long.

The need of the hour is to keep the series alive in Kolkata. Despite the injuries we’ve had - we’ve had to send four guys back and call for replacements in just one week - we’ve tried to put together the best possible combination depending on the conditions. We need to do that in Kolkata as well, and be relaxed and focussed at the same time.