Galle: Despite going down to India in the first Test here, head coach Gary Kirsten was pleased to see Sri Lankan players embracing the challenges that the red-ball format offers.
The 165-run defeat to India was Sri Lanka’s second defeat in three Tests after going down to the West Indies by an innings and 217 runs at North Sound, Antigua in June.
“I’m particularly excited by being involved with Sri Lankan cricket. I think there’s some great players here, but the team still needs to develop. It is sometimes tough when you don’t play Test match cricket to understand how you need to play that,” Kirsten said in the post-match press conference.
“This is now our third Test match in the space of a couple of months and I can already see the team developing and we’re starting to build some shape into the team. But we need to be able to turn it into a performance at some point. But as I said, we’re kind of building that and developing that as best we can,” he added.
Kirsten was happy to see the fight Sri Lanka offered despite getting reduced to 99 for five in the initial part of their first innings, and then dragged the match to the fifth and final day.
“From being 99 for 5 at the beginning of the third day, to then taking the Test match into the afternoon of the fifth day was particularly pleasing. There was a bit of fight and that we were keen to try and stay in the Test match.
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