Sanath Jayasuriya hails Sri Lanka's historic ODI series win over India

In a momentous victory, Sri Lanka clinched the series against India with a massive 110-run win, marking their first series triumph over India in 27 years. The triumph sealed the series 2-0, and interim head coach Sanath Jayasuriya couldn't contain his delight during the post-match interview.

Jayasuriya, beaming with pride, praised his young team's resilience in Colombo despite numerous challenges. 

"It was a very long wait because that series I played in 1997 and got a lot of runs in that series. That was the last series we won against India. After 27 years, I am part of the team and I am very happy to be part of these boys. They are a very nice bunch of players and are talented and the whole country would have seen what we can do," Jayasuriya said.

The coach highlighted the team's perseverance despite a tough T20 series, explaining how the players learned from their mistakes and improved their performance in Colombo. 

Sri Lanka's middle-order, which had struggled in the T20I series, showed significant improvement. Dunith Wellalage was pivotal, scoring 108 runs and taking 7 wickets, while the top order consistently provided strong starts.

"The boys went through a very, very hard time. Even during the T20 series we played well but the result was not what was expected. The players realised what went wrong when we came back to Colombo and they started to play well.", he said.

He also credited the coaching staff's efforts in instilling confidence in the players, highlighting the impact of focused training programs.

"We have been working with players like Wellalage, Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Asalanka, all are very young players. Hasaranga got injured and Vandersay has been there for a long time but never got the opportunity and when we gave the opportunity, he grabbed it with both hands," he said.

A key factor in Sri Lanka's resurgence was a seven-day coaching program led by Zubin Bharucha, Director of High Performance at Rajasthan Royals. Bharucha's emphasis on long innings for batters played a pivotal role in boosting the players' confidence. 

"I got Zubin from Rajasthan Royals and he came and did a seven-day coaching program. We learnt a lot, the players learnt a lot on how to bat long innings, and one batsman was batting 2-3 hours. That gave the batters a lot of confidence."

"I got Zubin from Rajasthan Royals and he came and did a seven day coaching programme. We learnt a lot, the players learnt a lot on how to bat long innings, and one batsman was batting 2-3 hours. That gave the batters a lot of confidence," Jayasuriya said.

"The players only need confidence. If they get some runs on the board, if they are bowling well, if someone gets starts and gets big runs, so those are the little things they can get the confidence high. At the end of the day, we have beaten the Number 1 team in the world," he added.

Despite the team's outstanding performance, Jayasuriya is set to return to his regular role as the high performance manager after the tour of England. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is actively seeking a permanent head coach following Chris Silverwood's resignation in June after the T20 World Cup.

"Sri Lanka cricket is looking for a coach at the moment. I stepped in for two series: the India series and the England series. They will look for a coach, I'm there as an in-charge for high performance but I will support Sri Lanka cricket. I must thank SLC, they have given everything possible for the players and for our support staff. Also, I hope they will find a good coach to bring these youngsters to a higher level and continue the winning streak," he said.

Back at the Premadasa Stadium, the mood was one of celebration. Jayasuriya revealed, "They [players] all want to go back to the hotel because they need the dance, they need to do the victory dance in the dressing room and then back in the hotel."