NEWS
Follow UsSri Lankan batting coach Thilina Kandamby is confident of his side making a comeback in the second Test against South Africa at Gqeberha, after losing the first one by 233 runs at Kingsmead in Durban.
"We have a very experienced unit, and they have been in situations like this before. We have given comebacks before as well. I don't think the players are mentally down. We give them a lot of confidence,” Kandamby said in the pre-match press conference on December 4 (Wednesday).
Giving the example of how the Lankan team came back after losing two Tests in England to win the final one in Oval and make a remarkable turnaround in the World Test Championship 2023-25 race to the final.
"We started similarly in England this year. We came from behind to win a game. We have identified that and we need to be at our best from day one,” said the 42-year-old.
Talking about the plans to negotiate the South African pacers against whom the Lankan side was bundled out for their lowest-ever Test total-42 in the first innings of the Durban Test, Kandamby said that the batters would look to negotiate the first hour.
"We had a chat, and the key here is to see off the new ball. There is no point being too aggressive, but we do have to put the loose balls away. Once we get past the first hour, it gets a lot easier."
For Sri Lanka, the match is a must-win as otherwise, their dreams of playing a WTC final would depend on other results and not their own. They have two home Tests left against defending champions Australia.
The islanders must win all three of their remaining encounters to pose a threat to other teams for a spot in the final at Lord’s.
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.
