Dejected after the six-wicket loss to England in the Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara slammed the New Wanderers wicket, saying that the track was not good enough for a one-day match.
Sri Lanka struggled to 212 all out as England pacers exploited the seamer-friendly pitch to steer their side to an advantageous position on Friday.
"The wicket was not the best for one-day cricket, especially when you want to attract fans. It was not a typical one-day track. It looked like first day of a Test match," a disappointed Sangakkara said after the match.
"Still it's up to us to perform in different conditions," he added.
Despite being bundled out for a small total, the stumper batsman praised his batsmen, saying they put up a brave fight.
"It was a good total. From where we were, to build 212 was fantastic. The way (Thilan) Samaraweera, (Thilina) Kandmaby and Angelo (Mathews) batted was great. I still believe we played well," he said.
Sangakkara also praised his spin duo of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.
"They bowled well, specially Mendis. The effort was great. Probably we were one seamer short but spin has always been our main strength so we will always rely on them," Sangakkara said.
Winning captain Andrew Strauss was a happy man, but cautioned the team against dropping its guard in the coming matches.
"We played well; did well with the new ball. The key was not to lose too many wickets, play sensibly and avoid rash shots. Paul Collingwood played great, Owais Shah played an important innings and Eoin Morgan was excellent," he said.
"I am very pleased with the win and it was a very professional chase. I am delighted but there is more hard work to do," he added.
Collingwood, chosen Man-of-the-Match for his excellent 46-run knock, said aggression was key to his performance.
"When you contribute to team's win, it's great feeling. Today's was a great team performance. The chase was difficult and aggressive batting helped. Morgan played well and wicket also suited our bowlers," he said.
