 "Pathum Nissanka")
A disappointed Pathum Nissanka said anything close to 300 would have been a challenging total but Sri Lanka failed to sustain a promising start against Australia in a World Cup match here.
Nissanka (61) and fellow opener Kushal Perera (78) gave Sri Lanka an ideal start on Monday, stitching a 125-run partnership but the Island nation suffered an unexpected batting collapse, losing all 10 wickets for just 84 runs to put up a below-par 209 on the board.
The Australians grabbed the opportunity with Josh Inglis (58) and Mitchell Marsh (52) scoring half-centuries each to take their side to a five-wicket win in 35.2 overs, their first victory in three matches.
"Despite our promising start, we deeply regret not being able to sustain it, resulting in us being limited to a score of 210 runs," Nissanka said at the post-match press conference.
"On a wicket like this, I believe we should aim for a total closer to 300 runs, and this was a contributing factor for our defeat."
Nissanka's 61 off 67 balls was his second successive half-century in the tournament.
Nissanka's 61 off 67 balls was his second successive half-century in the tournament.
"I believe I've given my best for the team. I'm hopeful that I can contribute significantly by scoring substantial number of runs and playing substantial innings in the upcoming matches," he said.
Sri Lanka have lost three games they have played so far and need to win all their remaining six matches for a shot at the semifinals.
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They next face the Netherlands here on Saturday.
"Our focus now is to learn from our mistakes and strive for strong performances in the upcoming matches. Our mental level is good. We hope to play well in these matches and win the remaining matches," Nissanka said.
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