Both teams will feel the pressure: Mathews

Angelo Mathews has been singing the underdogs song ever since landing in England for the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Sri Lanka’s low ranking, its poor form and an inexperienced team meant there were no real expectations from it.

But all that changed with a stunning victory over India, which leaves Sri Lanka with a chance to make it to the semi-final if it beats Pakistan on Monday. For the first time, Mathews said his team would have the pressure of expectations on it, but urged it to ‘treat it like just another’ game.

“We've just got to treat this as just another game because we know that the pressure is on obviously,” he said. “And both teams will feel the pressure.

“As we came into the Indian game, we knew that there were no expectations. That's how we want to look at this game as well. Yes, there will be expectations now, but we just want to treat this as a game and try and focus on what we have to do and what we can do.”

The last semi-final spot in the tournament is up for grabs, but Mathews said it was important for his young side to resist the temptation of thinking too far ahead.

“We are not trying to get too far ahead,” he said. “We just want to take one game at a time. We're not thinking about the semifinal as of now. We all know that Pakistan are a very dangerous team. We have to be on top to beat them.

“We've got a young set of players who are still coming through the ranks and who are still unfamiliar with the international level, but the skill is obviously there. We know what we can do. We showed the other day.”

Conceding that the current phase of transition was tough on him as a captain, Mathews explained that the key to progress was backing the skills of the youngsters.

“It's very easy to captain a side when you have the Sangakkaras, Mahelas, Malingas,” he said. “The challenge really began after they retired. Lasith is obviously still with us, but Sangakkara and Mahela, when they retired, it created a lot of vacuum in the team.

“We had to sort of persist with the younger players and give them confidence. It's not easy -- when you lose a few games here and there, it's never easy. The pressure is on. It's just that you've got to try and deal with the pressures or try and stick with them, give them a lot of confidence. We know the talent that we have in the dressing room. It's just that we need to try and stay positive with them and give them a lot of opportunities and give them a longer run, being consistent with them. We obviously will see more results in the future.”

Mathews himself has been the bridge between the youngsters and the legends, often holding the team together with his experience and performances. Sri Lanka has struggled as a team since Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retired, but Mathews’ personal form has remained intact. During the period, he has averaged in excess of 42 with the bat, a couple of points over his career average.

“Even though I'm the captain of the team, I've always tried to contribute as a batter and a bowler and on the field because I'm another player when I get onto the field,” he explained. “So my contribution is also very important to the team. I try my very best to try and concentrate on what I have to do rather than thinking about the captaincy and too many other things. I've always focused on what I have to do, at the job at hand.

“I've worked extremely hard, just like the others. It's just through my experience, I'm learning the game a bit more now. I'm slowly understanding the game a little bit better than what I used to. And, yes, I'm learning every day.”

The learning and experience came to the fore in Sri Lanka’s victory over India. Chasing 322, Sri Lanka got a strong start but importantly, it capitalised in the middle overs with Mathews making an unbeaten half-century. It was something it missed against South Africa, where it collapsed after a similarly quick start.

“It was probably similar games,” he said. “We just needed someone to bat through the innings, but still at the same time, we needed the rate to be under eight. The sooner the rate goes up 8.5 and 9, it's starting to become difficult for the batters, and they need to go for their shots.

“That was a conscious effort to keep the rate down below 7.5 so that it's always within reach. We just needed someone to try and anchor the innings, which I had to do in the second, and I thought all the others batted brilliantly. Danushka (Gunathilaka) and Kusal (Mendis) gave us the platform - and Kusal’s (Perera) innings was a real game changer.”

Unfortunately for it, Sri Lanka won’t have the game-changer’s services for Monday. Perera injured his hamstring during the India game, and has been replaced in the squad by Dhananjaya de Silva.

“It's a shame to lose Kusal. He batted extremely well,” rued Mathews. “We brought him as the third opener, but he can bat in the middle as well. He's always that player who can bat anywhere in the batting line-up. So that gives us a lot of options.

“It’s unfortunate that he's gone back, but Dhananjaya de Silva is also a very good player, and we had to bring him to the squad because we are left with only seven batters at the moment.”