We didn't play to our potential: Ganguly

The Indian skipper on Sunday admitted that the team never played to its potential throughout the Asia Cup and must find a way to reverse the slump.

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly on Sunday admitted that the team never played to its potential throughout the Asia Cup and must find out a way to come out firing on all cylinders after a break.

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"We did not play to our potential throughout the tournament. We were playing after a break but breaks will be there in international cricket. We need to find some way to come back to form immediately after a break," Ganguly said after the Indians lost the final by 25 runs against Sri Lanka here.

Attributing today's loss to his batsmen's failure to build any kind of partnership, Ganguly said the total of 228 was very gettable but the team lost the plot.

"The total of 228 was always chaseable. Sri Lanka bowled well but we should have done better... I don't think we got partnerships."

The Indian skipper said the team would have to work on all aspects of the game -- batting, bowling, fielding -- with commitment and intensity before the next assignment.

"We need to get our healths right before the tournaments."

India will now play a three-nation tournament in Amsterdam, Holland from August 21-28 and will participate in the Natwest Trophy in England next month before the ICC Champions Trophy tournament. More

"I think we were playing well right from the start of the tournament. It was a team effort right from the beginning and it is great to win the title in front of the home crowd."

This is the third time that Sri Lanka has laid their hands on the coveted trophy, the first two being in 1986, 1997. Incidentally, their all the three titles came on home soil.

"After coming back from Australia we worked hard and it is great to see the players rise to the pressure, which is always there when you play in Sri Lanka," Atapattu said.

Atapattu, who also won the Man of the Match award for his fine knock of 65 and his outstanding captaincy, said the team was working on the fielding for the past few months which paid rich dividends in the tournament.

Man-of-the-series Sanath Jayasuriya was very pleased with the overall performance of the team and said the improvement in fitness level of the players made the difference.

"I think we have been working hard on our fitness and I am myself working very hard," the 35-year-old batsman said.