Kusal Mendis, the Islanders' wicketkeeper-batter who smashed a breezy 79 as the Islanders defeated the Netherlands by 16 runs in a Group A First Round game here on Thursday to secure a place among the elite sides, believes that the Sri Lankan team has become more resilient for bigger challenges as a result of reaching the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup here after a close call with elimination.
The defending Asia Cup champions, Sri Lanka, were in a must-win situation going into the final two games after being thrashed by Namibia by 55 runs in their opening Group A match. They thrashed the UAE by 79 runs to get their net run rate (NRR) back on track, and then on Thursday they defeated the valiant Dutch to win a Super 12 berth.
Mendis, who scored at a strike rate of over 180 on Thursday, said it was advantageous for the team to face some difficult obstacles early in the competition when asked if the difficult games in the group stage had prepared the team for tougher trials in the Super 12.
"Yes, I performed admirably at the Asia Cup last month (after the humiliating loss to Afghanistan). I was aware that I would need to have a similar strategy in the subsequent match (also here) (after the loss to Namibia). I believe we excel at it (coming back strongly after defeats) "Mendis stated.
Mendis claimed that the first game against Namibia had taught the players that playing huge shots wasn't necessary to increase the scoring rate.
"Yes, we were aware of the wicket's slowness in the first game. I was familiar with playing on this wicket after the game. Then, in the second and third games, I excelled "Mendis stated.
Mendis said that his performance in the Group A opener on the slow pitch left him absolutely lost, but he changed his approach in the following games.
"I had no idea how to use the pitch in the first game because it was so slow. I was then able to play well here after the first game. I waited (to settle down). I performed according to plan throughout the first six innings. Then, following the six overs, I took care of my routine, " he added.