'We don't need to hide Mendis'

Colombo: CNN-IBN spoke to Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene in an exclusive interview.

Himanshu Singhal: Your assessment of the year so far as a captain and as a team.

Mahela Jayawardene: More than me as a captain, it's important I talk about the team. After the World Cup, I think we had a slight dip in our one-day cricket. No excuses but we didn't play upto our potential. There were mistakes here and there but I think we are picking it up again.

We have quiet a few guys who are coming into the setup, it takes time for some of the guys to settle in. But I think we have managed to turn it around in the Asia Cup and we just need to maintain this now.

Our Test cricket has been really good, home and away. We have done exceptionally well, the new guys who also came in have also done really well. And as a captain, you are as good as your team.

Himanshu Singhal: Chaminda Vaas with 400 one-day wickets has been a fantastic achiever for your team.

Mahela Jayawardne: He has been one of the unsung heroes for us. Murali takes away most of the limelight away from him. But he has been a great foil for Murali over the years and especially on the these sub-continent wickets, the kind of effort he puts in and the discipline he has is amazing. So, I wish him all the best.

Himanshu Singhal: What are the areas that your team is working on and still needs improvement?

Mahela Jayawardne: I think we need to work on all areas. No matter how good you are, you have to keep working and that's where the improvement will keep coming in.

In batting, we still are striving for the partnerships, someone to get a big one and others to bat around him. For the bowlers to be disciplined and execute the plans we decided on in the team meetings. And for the fielders to be enthusiastic and create opportunities. We just need to keep improving.

Himanshu Singhal: What makes the India-Sri Lanka series important for you?

Mahela Jayawardne: I think all series are important. The simple fact that they are the neighbours and the big boys and they have some really good cricketers. We just like to challenge ourselves to see where we stand.

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