Perth: Happy with his team’s win over Sri Lanka in their second ODI, Indian skipper Mahedra Singh Dhoni said that it was always good to finish as a winning captain. However, the skipper wasn’t happy about the manner in which the victory was achieved and said that there were a few shots which the Indian players shouldn't have played.
“It's good we have ended on the winning side. We could have lost also,” said Dhoni, after his side suffered a mid-innings collapse. Once I got out, and when Virat was run out, the match could have gone either way. It looked as it would go Sri Lanka's way," Dhoni said.
Praising Ashwin and Jadeja for their efforts down the line, Dhoni said, “It had been tough for Ashwin in the last few games but but he bowled well and batted well today. As for jadeja we believe in him and he has been proving his worth. if each player does his work it becomes easier. We tried to improve upon the mistakes we committed in the last match and we also will improve upon the mistakes committed today,” said the winning captain.
When asked about his smiling face and if it was a sign of great relief during the prize distribution ceremony, Dhoni said, “I always smile whether I lose or win as I treat it as a sport.”
Ecstatic about his all-round performance (3 wickets and 30 runs) which fetched him the man-of-the-match award, Ashwin said that he would like to concentrate on his offies but would be more than happy to contribute with his bat down the order. “
It’s always good to contribute in my team’s win. We were pretty desperate for a win in the competition as big as this. After Virat’s dismissal, I just walked in and said it could be my game and just wanted to hold on to the crease. As for my bowling, I was trying to get the height and succeeded in bowling tight after some bad matches earlier. So it feels good. I will like to concentrate on his offies but will be more than happy to contribute with his bat down the order,” said Ashwin.
Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardene said that Sri Lanka were 25-30 runs short. “260-270 could have been a winning score. We kept on losing wickets and didn’t have the momentum going. India played better cricket today,” said the Sri lankan captain.
