ODI World Cup 2023: England underestimated us, says Sri Lankan spinner Theekshana

Theekshana credited his bowlers for their discipline. It was, in fact, the third successive game in which England had not batted the full quota of overs in the ODI World Cup 2023.

England’s disappointing eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka may have left its World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, but skipper Jos Buttler stressed that he was still the right man to take the team forward.

“I think you’re always questioning [your position] as captain,” Buttler said on Thursday. “How to get the best out of players... how to get the team moving in the right direction. I certainly have a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a leader, and first, and foremost as a player. But if you’re asking if I should still be captaining the team, that’s a question for the guys above me.”

The 33-year-old, however, conceded that his dreadful numbers with the bat (95 runs from five World Cup games) have contributed to his team’s shoddy display.

READ | ODI World Cup: England’s title defence in tatters after eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka

“If there was one golden egg that we were missing, then you’d hope to see that. But there is no secret. There’s no one else who can score your own runs or take your wickets.

“That comes from the start, from the captain at the front. I’ve been a long way short of my best. As a leader, you want to lead through your own performance, and I’ve not been able to do that.”

Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana stated that England had underestimated the Lankans. “Because we had also lost three games and we only won against Netherlands, I think they underestimated us,” the tweaker said. “We backed our strengths and went with a simple plan. That’s why we won the game.”

Theekshana credited his bowlers for their discipline. It was, in fact, the third successive game in which England had not batted the full quota of overs.

“In the initial four or five overs, we conceded a few runs due to our inability to find the right length,” he said. “However, Angelo [Mathews] utilised his experience to adjust the length. Then Lahiru [Kumara] maintained discipline.”

“The pitch was a little different [to the earlier ones in Bengaluru]. There was some turn and a little pace and bounce. [But] it is not that accumulating runs was tough, as we managed to score 150 odd with just two wickets down.”