'300 is enough'
In the ongoing two-Test series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka's rookie batsman Roshen Silva has shown with a century in the first game and twin fifties in the second Test that he is not one to take a backward step. That attitude seems to extend off the field as well as after Sri Lanka had taken a 312-run second-innings lead with Silva unbeaten on 58 on a difficult pitch, he did not mince words about what he thought would happen.
"I think this [the lead] is enough," Silva said after the day's play. "All the batsmen from the Bangladesh team know this wicket is not going to be easy. We have a much more experienced spin attack. They also have really good bowlers but Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera are very experienced bowlers. I don't think it is possible to get more than 300 runs on this wicket. It is common sense but cricket is a funny game."
Doing away with the niceties of sport speak, the 29-year-old also said that he was puzzled by Bangladesh's tactic of putting out a spin-friendly wicket against a subcontinent team.
"We play in similar kind of wickets back home. I am not going to say it is a good wicket, but mentally we knew it was going to turn. I didn't think that this would happen. I thought it would be a good batting wicket. In the sub-continent when Aussies or other teams come we give this wicket but Sri Lanka has a good spin attack. I don't know why they gave a wicket like this.
The straight-talking Roshen gave credit to Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for his three-wicket haul, and said that he was lucky that he did not get out to him early.
"Before going to bat, praying is the best thing. I am just joking. If you get a good ball on this wicket, you can't help it. You can lose one or two wickets suddenly. You must get runs from the loose balls."
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