India vs Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera feels visitors can fightback in T20Is despite loss in other formats

Cuttack: Skipper Thisara Perera is confident of a Sri Lanka comeback in the T20 series against India, insisting that his side would look to “flush out” the negativity following heavy defeats in the preceding Tests and ODIs. From being ordinary in the Test series, Sri Lanka caught India unawares with a surprise bowling effort in the first ODI, but could not capitalise on the momentum and lost the series 1-2. [caption id=“attachment_4266267” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sri Lanka’s captain Thisara Perera. AP[/caption] As the long tour enters its final leg, both teams are looking to shift to T20 mode. “It was a bad ODI series but we have to take good things from the first match. There were a lot of positives. We have to flush out the negatives. It’s a new series and we hope to start well,” Perera said on the eve of the T20I series opener at the Barabati Stadium. “We have good talents, death bowlers, power hitters. We will do our best tomorrow. I’ve to give more confidence to the young players. I don’t think they have pressure, they have to give 100 per cent. Personally I know they have good mindset and they can come very strongly.” The ODI series was locked at 1-1 after Rohit Sharma single-handedly led the side with his record third double hundred. In the ODI series decider, Upul Tharanga fired and his team was on course to cross 300 at one stage, only to manage 215. “We got a good start but then we didn’t execute our plans, that’s the main reason why we lost. It won’t happen again and again. It was a one-off game,” Perera said two days after India bounced back through spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. On India resting many of their main first-choice players, including skipper Virat Kohli and Perera said: “We don’t think about just one player. We are concentrating on playing our game. I want to play my natural game.” Tharanga attacked the Indian bowling en route his 82-ball 95 and Perera gave credit to their batting coach Thilan Samaraweera. “He made some technical changes which was the main reason to his success. I’ve to thank our batting coach.” Sri Lanka trained in the morning session but the team think tank sent a few players in the evening to check on dew. “With a 7pm start, both teams will have to deal with dew. We have to look for a good start and build pressure. The main target is to get 150-plus.”