Lehmann laments hapless Australia

Australia was guilty of "not showing up" and have to "stop the rot" after an embarrassing collapse against Sri Lanka on Day Two of the second Test in Galle, according to head coach Darren Lehmann.

Published : Aug 06, 2016 01:37 IST

Steve Smith narrowly escaped getting out on the final ball of the second day, with his team already three down.
Steve Smith narrowly escaped getting out on the final ball of the second day, with his team already three down.
lightbox-info

Steve Smith narrowly escaped getting out on the final ball of the second day, with his team already three down.

Australia was guilty of "not showing up" and have to "stop the rot" after an embarrassing collapse against Sri Lanka on Friday, according to head coach Darren Lehmann.

Having lost the opening Test by 106 runs in Pallekele, the tourists were all out for only 106 in reply to Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 281 in Galle. Australia restricted Angelo Mathews’ side to 237 in its second knock, but could not prevent Sri Lanka from opening up a commanding lead.

>Report: Set 413 to win, Aussies three down

And the struggles then continued for the visitors, who slumped to 25 for 3 late on day two, leaving them needing 388 to record what now appears a highly unlikely victory which they need to keep the three-match series alive. "We're certainly not showing up at the moment," Lehmann told reporters at the close of play.

"It's up to the players to get out there and do that. We give them as much info as we possibly can, as you know. We're pretty open about how we want the players to play … it gets down to the players doing it on the ground. 

"At the moment we're letting ourselves down as a group. They know what they want to do, it's having the belief to do it. We've got to make sure we get the players doing what they're supposed to be doing. And if not, we'll have to find players who are going to."

Australia has struggled badly in Asia in recent years, winning just one of its last 16 Tests in the subcontinent. Asked if the team had learned from its previous struggles against spin on slow pitches, Lehmann said: "Results will say we haven't moved on, won't [they]? Pretty simple.

"We've got to get better. Simple as that. Tomorrow we've got to play better to stop the rot. It's not as if they [the player] don't have the knowledge or know-how, it's doing it … under pressure."

Australia will resume with David Warner (22) and captain Smith (0) at the crease on Saturday.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment