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ESPNcricinfo staff
December 4, 2011
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka batsman, has said his side will enjoy bearing the underdog tag on their tour of South Africa because they have exceeded expectations before. Jayawardene pointed to the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, saying Sri Lanka were not favourites in those tournaments but managed to reach the finals in both editions.
"When you are playing away from home and with the unit we have, we will be tagged as underdogs," he said. "I think it's a good way to go to South Africa. Expectations of us are going to be lower after the way we performed in the last three Tests [against Pakistan in the UAE].
"Even when we went into the last two World Cups [2007 and 2011] we were not the clear favourites. We came from behind and did what needed to be done."
Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test this year and have lost three series - away to England, at home to Australia and against Pakistan in the UAE - by the same scoreline: 0-1. Their poor run prompted Kepler Wessels, the former South Africa captain, to say a South Africa A side would beat Sri Lanka on present form. Jayawardene said the only way Sri Lanka could respond to that statement was through their on-field performances.
"The only way we can react is by performing and showing him what a good side we are. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. The statement is great ammunition for us to motivate ourselves and send a clear message to the players that this is how they are thinking about us so let's try to change their mind."
Sri Lanka have lost six of the seven Tests they have played in South Africa, and Jayawardene expected this tour to be difficult too. "We have to be realistic in knowing what challenges face us. We know what the conditions are and what the attack is going to be, therefore it's important to prepare."
Jayawardene missed the fifth ODI and Twenty20 against Pakistan with a knee injury but says he expects to be 100% fit by the first Test against South Africa at Centurion, which starts December 15. "Right now I am feeling much better with the injury but I haven't started running yet; I've only batted in the nets. It's been only two weeks since the last game I played. With the progress I have made in the last two weeks I am quite positive that I should be more-or-less 100% fit by the first Test." Sri Lanka have brought in Thilan Samaraweera as cover for Jayawardene.
During the ODI series against Pakistan, Jayawardene became the second Sri Lanka batsman to reach 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and he is just 46 runs away from reaching the mark in Tests too. Jayawardene said that getting 10,000 runs in both formats was a goal he had set himself for 2011. "I focused on that double after the 2007 World Cup and I had a target of achieving them by this year. Getting to 10,000 ODI runs is a personal achievement I am very proud of. There will be arguments that I could have done better but given the roles that I have had to play in the team I feel I've managed to win matches for the team rather than just play for personal achievements. In that process to get 10,000 ODI runs I am quite happy.
"These are things that motivate me to be a better cricketer. Only five guys have done the 10,000-run double in the history of the game [Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara]. I will be really thrilled if I am the first Sri Lankan to do that."
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