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We'll come out with a better plan: Tillakaratne

Last Updated 13 August 2017, 19:18 IST

Sri Lankan batsmen need not look beyond their batting coach Hashan Tillakaratne to get out of the rut they have found themselves in at the moment.

Having been shot out for 135 in less than three hours, Lanka stare at a potential innings defeat in the third Test against India who are still 333 runs ahead and have to take just nine wickets to complete a 3-0 whitewash.

“It’s a disappointing day, we batted so poorly today,” said Tillakaratne at the end of day’s play. “I am sure the boys have realised where they went wrong for sure. They will come out with a better plan tomorrow. There are so many things that you can say when the team is not doing too well but this is the time we must back these guys and give them the confidence. We thought, after the second innings of the second Test we had laid a very good platform but we couldn’t build on that. We need to be patient with them now,” he offered.

Patience is what something the Lankan batsmen can learn from Tillakaratne who once batted for over nine hours for his unbeaten 204 against the West Indies at SSC in 2001. Compare that with Lanka’s longest (team) innings – just over eight hours in the second innings of the second Test -- on this series and you know magnitude of the problem.

“They are playing against the No 1 side in the world,” he said when asked as to what would be his advice from someone who batted for over nine hours in an innings. “Then again I am not seeking for any excuses. These boys are well experienced but they do a lot of mistakes while batting, they are a little down on confidence. We won 3-0 against Australia with the same side but we are a little down on confidence now. Just that we need one or two guys to put up their hands and do a miracle,” he observed.

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(Published 13 August 2017, 19:18 IST)

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