MAHELA JAYAWARDENE URGES HIS SIDE TO CARRY FORWARD THE MOMENTUM – CRICKET NEWS UPDATE

Mahela Jayawardene urges his side to carry forward the momentum – Cricket News Update After dismantling Pakistan in the recently concluded series, Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, is all set to deliver the goods against India and wants to carry forward the momentum. The Islanders have struggled at the global arena since Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement, losing Test series against Australia, Pakistan, England and South Africa in 2011. To make matters worse, Jaywardene’s men failed to win a single fixture in this year’s Asia Cup, held in Bangladesh. The Lankan Tigers however, turned the tables in the series against the Green Shirts and defeated them in ODIs (3-1) as well as in the longer version of the sport (1-0), which remains their first Test series victory since Murali’s absence. Jayawardene and company now face another stern challenge in shape of a limited-overs series against India, which starts from Saturday at Hambantota, including five ODIs and a T20 International. The seasoned middle-order batsman is delighted with his side’s recent showings and hopes to perform consistently in the coming months. "We have just finished a series against Pakistan successfully and what is important is to continue with the good work," Jayawardene said. "We have to work hard to reach the goals we want to attain." Some of the young Lankan players performed out of their skins against Pakistan, Thisara Perera, the all-rounder, being the biggest positive. The Sri Lankan skipper expressed that the fresh blood will have to carry the burden of the Island’s cricket in the coming years and hopes to see them do well against India as well. The 35-year-old cricketer from Colombo wants to use the forthcoming battle to assess the strength of his side ahead of more important encounters, which include the ICC World T20 2012, which will be hosted by the Island in September/October. "It's a good opportunity against India. We need to take the team forward. We have brought in a few new players for the one-day side, and we have to think about the World Twenty20 and which of these players will be suitable for that competition," the home team’s captain added. Taking into account Sri Lanka’s rejuvenated approach, one expects the upcoming series against India to be a nail-biting prospect. Tagged in: cricket, Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka, Cricket Update, cricket news Test your Cricket knowledge by placing free betting on cricket matches. Get most accurate Cricket betting odds and picks for successful betting.