[1]Livid after Delhi Daredevils went down meekly to Highveld Lions in the Champions League Twenty20 semi-final, skipper Mahela Jayawardene said his team did not have the "right attitude" and was bogged down by nerves and pressure.
Jayawardene dropped himself from the line-up to accommodate the aggressive David Warner in the playing XI but the move hardly paid as Delhi fell short by 22 runs in a chase of 140 last night.
"We play very good cricket throughout but when it comes to those big matches, we don't seem to find the right attitude. It could be put down to nerves and pressure. Because it has happened to us in the past, it probably goes through our minds when we're playing a big game," Jayawardene said after the match in which only three Delhi batsmen hit double-digit figures.
"This is my first season with the Daredevils and this is something that I want us to talk among ourselves. We've got a good senior group and we can rectify that. True, we're getting at this level because we're a good team and are performing well.
"We need to make sure that once we get to into a big game; the guys put up their hands and perform. After losing a game, it's tough to be critical of you and analyse people," he added.
The Sri Lankan defended his decision to drop out of the game.
"With IPL teams you face a unique situation where you can play only four foreigners and you have to ensure you are playing the right guys," said Jayawardene.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/mahela-jayawardenejpgcropdisplayjpg-033