For many fans, let alone players, Sri Lanka's defeat in the second ODI was particularly difficult. In the midst of one of the worst streaks in the country's cricketing history, the opportunity to eliminate an old foe - even if their first-choice XI is halfway across the world - would have been as good as any. But, Deepak Chahar had a different idea.
So, now it is up to Sri Lanka's 10th captain in four years, Dasun Shanaka, to unite their troops, go back and avoid the whitewash. While the Super League will certainly be a motivating factor to score points, it is clear that what this Sri Lankan team needs right now is just a win.
"If we had won that last game, this game would have been a big boost," Shanaka said. "But I am confident that this young team can start winning very soon.
"If you see, even from the England series, the team is improving a little bit. Today our bowlers had a good practice session focusing on their spot bowling, which is important in a match. Every time we get out There are areas in which we want to improve. Of course, we can fall down sometimes, but we need to keep faith in the process. The goal is to end this match on a high note."
The criticism that erupted from the last game centered around Shanaka's handling of his bowlers at the time of death. It was understandable to use the excellent pair of Dushmantha Chameera and Vanindu Hasaranga in the final few overs, before the decision to bring in both Kasun Rajita and Lakshman Sandakan in the earlier overs was more controversial.
Both Rajita and Sandakan scored more than seven runs per over, but Shanaka said it was a decision that was easy to criticize.
"We can't always say for sure what would have happened. There are two ways to look at it; if Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne had bowled and got hit, many would have said Kasun would have Rajita's over. And Lakshman Sandakan. Finally , Sandakan got the crucial wicket of Suryakumar (Yadav).
"We can't always know which approach would have been best. My main goal as a captain is to win, at that time I did what I liked best but going forward I have to learn from these experiences."
In terms of positivity for Sri Lanka, Charit Aslanka and Karunaratne have been right there. Karunaratne's late-order hitting has been key in Sri Lanka setting up respectable goals in both the games so far, while Aslanka has proved a steady middle-order presence. Unsurprisingly, the unreliable nature of Sri Lanka's top-order coupled with the form of both players led to calls for them to be promoted, something Shanaka was hesitant to sign.
"We need to fix the game environment first. When Aslanka was batting at No. 3 in England, a lot of people would be saying that she is not of international standard. As a captain, the way I did Looked at it, how was he. Do we get the best out of him? I talked to the coaches and the selectors, and we decided that he should play at No. 5 first, where he can get the experience of playing in the middle order first. Then slowly -Gradually put him in that No. 3. Role. We need to give players time to settle down. This will give them time to learn about international cricket, how to play certain bowlers, when to pace an innings , they will gradually get a better understanding of when to spread things.
"Like Aslanka, Chamika is playing really well. But Chamika also needs time to settle down. She has shown that she can finish, so we need to give her more time in that role. That's how you get her." builds confidence. That's why both are in their unique position to gain that valuable experience."
Much of Sri Lanka's success also depends on Chameera's consistent fitness, whose pace has caused problems for many opposition batsmen. This means successfully implementing the rest and rotation policy. However, Chameera has been playing non-stop since the beginning of the year and considering how important he is to the team, rest is unlikely. A logical replacement would be Lahiru Kumara, but he himself is coming back from injury.
"We have a problem with being able to replace some players," Shanaka said. “In the past, we have lost a lot of in-form players to injuries, which have hurt our team. So now we need to handle our fast bowlers more carefully. We have about three fast bowlers who can bowl at over 140kph, but if we can raise that level a bit more it will make things easier in terms of rotation.
"Having a player like Lahiru Kumara is a huge advantage, but we need to manage his bowling load, and with him coming back from injury, we need to fit him in properly without putting him back. As a captain In form, I would have liked both Dushmantha and Kumara of course, but we need to manage the bowling load properly.
"Going forward, we expect more players to come from the Under-19 and A team level, and at that point, we should be able to properly implement the rest and rotation policy. It's honestly a good thing because If you see someone like Dushmantha has been in a bubble continuously for three months."