July 27, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1429

COLOMBO, July 26: India skipper Anil Kumble said on Saturday he was confident his team would bounce back in the three-Test series against Sri Lanka after crashing to a comprehensive defeat in the opening match here.

India lost by an innings and 239 runs on the penultimate day — their third-heaviest defeat in Test cricket. The second match starts in Galle on Thursday.

“We have done it [come back] in the past and it is the same team that has brought us some wonderful results, so I am confident we will come back. We need to regroup,” said the skipper.

“There is no need to look at a change in technique. No other line-up is more technically equipped. They are players who have played more than 100 Tests. You can’t get a more experienced line-up than this.”

India twice faltered against spin, scoring 223 in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka’s mammoth 600-6 declared and then managing just 138 in the second.

Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed 11 wickets in the match and debutant Ajantha Mendis eight.

“Obviously, we need to look at our strategy in handling Murali and Mendis. We have to be a little more positive. It was an exceptional bowling performance from Mendis and Murali,” said Kumble.

“It was never going to be easy after they had scored 600. We did not bowl well. Avoiding the follow-on was always going to be tough and once you bat that way in the first innings it was going to be tough.”

The Indian captain denied his team focused only on Mendis, saying Sri Lanka had excellent bowlers in Muralitharan and left-arm fast bowler Chaminda Vaas.

“We did not concentrate only on Mendis. I did mention before the match that Murali and Vaas are the important bowlers and nothing has changed,” he said.

“It was only that we are asked more about Mendis in media conferences. Probably the focus was on him, but we always knew Murali and Vaas were the ones to watch out for. Murali is a champion bowler.”

Mendis troubled the Indian batsmen in the two matches he played so far against them, having already taken six wickets in his team’s victory in the Asia Cup final in Karachi earlier this month.—AFP