ICC World Cup 2019 | Don’t think Sri Lanka were consistent enough at WC, says Mahela Jayawardene

Sri Lanka fell to a disappointing seven-wicket loss at the hands of Virat Kohli-led India at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds on Saturday. The islanders came into the World Cup on the back of some poor performances on the international stage and the signs were obvious that they were a team undergoing transition.

They got off to a poor start in the World Cup but bounced back with impressive wins against West Indies and hosts England. However, former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene reckons that the Lankans weren’t consistent enough during the tournament which ultimately led to their downfall in England.

"I don’t think Sri Lanka were consistent enough to threaten to be in the top four at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. They lacked punch in the middle order and apart from Lasith Malinga, the bowling attack didn’t look potent enough to threaten batting lineups.

"They just didn’t quite have the X-factor you need to be in those semi-final spots. Expectations were very realistic in the country leading up to the World Cup. Sri Lanka didn’t show much in the way of form but they always turn up for big tournaments and perform well. The wins over West Indies and England showed the way – it gave them a lot of confidence to believe the brand of cricket that earned those victories is the way to go forward," Jayawardene wrote in his column for Scroll.in.

Jayawardene, who played 448 matches for Sri Lanka, heaped praise on veteran Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews who scored a 128-ball 113 in tough circumstances in yesterday’s outing against India.

"Against India, Angelo Mathews played a superb innings and deserved his hundred. It didn’t look like Sri Lanka would get to a competitive score so credit has to go to him and Lahiru Thirimanne for putting up a big partnership. The middle order has been an Achilles heel but Angelo timed his innings really well. He didn’t take too many risks up front and got Sri Lanka to 264, which I felt was above par in the circumstances.

"Angelo couldn’t find form at the beginning of the tournament but the innings against England was a crucial one for him to get his confidence back. He can contribute a lot more to Sri Lankan cricket and he’ll definitely be in their plans for the future," Jayawardene added.