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I am thrilled and relieved: Sreesanth
"It was a great relief to pick up Lokuhettige's wicket with a yorker. I grew in confidence after that," said the debutant.
Debutant S Sreesanth was a much relieved man at the end of the first one-day international against Sri Lanka on Tuesday in which he took two wickets after being initially mauled.
The 22-year-old Kerala right arm medium pacer, who opened the Indian attack with Irfan Pathan, was treated roughly by fiery batsmen Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara in his first spell.
Sreesanth, who paid obeisance to the bowling crease before proceeding for his run-up in the second over of the match, consistently bowled short of length and was sent to the fence often before he was replaced.
But he made up by picking up two wickets in his second spell.
"It was a great relief to pick up (Dilhara) Lokuhettige's wicket with a yorker. I grew in confidence after that," a thrilled Sreesanth said.
Sreesanth, into his fifth over, beat Lokuhettige who attempted to slog an in-swinging yorker and was clean bowled.
His relief was visible as he went back to the bowling crease and once again paid his respect to it.
This was followed by his signing off for the match in style by packing off Muthiah Muralitharan, who was caught by Murali Karthik at mid-off.
"I was really thrilled to finish the match with Muralitharan's wicket," said the baby-faced Sreesanth, who was continuously cheered by the Nagpur crowd.
Talking about the newcomer's performance, skipper Rahul Dravid said: "He (Sreesanth) is a youngster and it is difficult to bowl in these conditions to batsmen like Jayasuriya and Sangakkara."
"Yet he came back well to take the two wickets," he said.
