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[caption id="attachment_51397" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Sanath Jayasurya with ace Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath. Image Source: XtraTime[/caption] Debasis Sen, Colombo: Former dashing opener Sanath Jayasurya has full faith in the current Sri Lankan team to bounce back in the test series against India. Jayasurya, who is also the selection committee chairman is pinning his hopes on the boys to come good against a confident Indian team. The Matara Mauler shared his thoughts on the ensuing series, future of Sri Lankan cricket, the current Indian team, the bowlers he feared facing during his playing days in an exclusive interview to xtratime.in. Here are the excerpts from the interview: Are you disappointed with the show that the boys have put up in Galle? I am not disappointed at all. My thinking is to do well in a test match the runs you score in the first innings is very important which we failed to do. I think when we got out for 291 in the first innings and that was crucial. Unfortunately Asela Gunaratene wasn’t there since he was injured and out of the series. So, if you want to win or save a match, getting runs on the board in the first innings, like what India did, is very important. Were you a bit upset with the application shown by a few batsmen in Galle test? No, I am not upset at all. We are a young side and are going through transition period. These players need a little bit more time in the middle. They are learning to handle the pressure. They proved that only in the last test against Zimbabwe when they chased almost 400 runs on a fifth day wicket. Do you think that Sri Lanka can make a comeback from here in the series? India did come back the last time that they were here, after losing in Galle, winning the other two Tests. This cricket, and if we apply ourselves and want (to come back), then we can. This is something we proved last year, when we beat Australia, then the world No 1 Test team, 3-0, when they were here. It wasn’t a one-off win, because you can’t win three Tests in a row without playing well. So, our players are capable. We need to give them a lot of confidence- the feeling that they can do it. They’re the one we have. As a chairman of selectors, I always give them a lot of confidence. I’ve a lot of faith in the, we’ve to push them. You’ve played a lot of Indian teams in the past. Where do you rate this side? It’s very good…very talented bunch of cricketers. You don’t get this kind of a combination in all departments of the game all the time. Do you feel that Shikhar Dhawan’s 190 on Day 1 made the difference at Galle?   He attacked and got some runs. He was a bit lucky that his catch was dropped (by Asela Gunaratne, when Dhawan was on 31). We dropped (Hardik) Pandya’s catch (by Dimuth Karunaratne off Herath when Pandya was on four) too, and he went on to score 50. So, these are little things we need to fine-tune. So, we need time, confidence. Does Dhawan’s aggression remind you of your batting? Yes (laughs a bit). Aggression is always good. When you start to attack, then sometimes, the opposition doesn’t know what to plan. I think that was his tactic. It was good to see an attacking batsman, but we also need to have our own plans as a team to counterattack however well they bowl, when it comes to the next match. How can India be beaten in this series? Anybody can be defeated. When Australia came here the last time, that’s what we were thinking. We were thinking: ‘How are we going to beat the world’s No1 Test team. They’ve a good bowling side.’ It’s still a matter of playing some basic cricket. Get some runs on the board…first innings is important. These are the little basic things in cricket. Is there someone in world cricket you find as exciting as you with a bat in hand? I think I’m excited when I see Dhawan attack. It reminds me of the time about 15 years ago, when a lot of attacking batsmen were around. When someone plays like that, it’s nice to see. Where is Sri Lankan cricket heading, considering it has produced so many great cricketers in the past? Those players can’t play every time.  They have retired a long time back and now we are have some talented youngsters coming up. We know that the supporters and cricket loving public is frustrated but they need to have patience. These boys are talented and will definitely deliver in future. They are the ones who are going to take Sri Lanka cricket into higher level. Is the transition period taking too long? Yes, this is kind of a transition period for us. We’ve have to be very careful in it. Even India, or any other country will see or has seen this phase. But sometimes, the cricket-loving public will get frustrated (with it), which you can’t stop, because cricket is a game which has brought glory to Sri Lanka. Our fans want us to do well and win games. We’re all trying to win and do well. So, I hope things will turn around fast. Are there any Sri Lankan youngsters who can mark out as future stars? We’re in a little bit of a transition period. We can’t look at producing recently-retired great cricketers   (Muttiah) Muralitharan, (Mahela) Jayawardene or (Kumar) Sangakkara, Rangana (Herath) just now, but we’ve Kushal Mendis, a very talented player. Upul Tharanga is becoming a good, experienced Test cricketer. (Niroshan) Dickwella (‘keeper) is an upcoming talent. Danushka Gunalathika is a very good cricketer. And we’re missing another good cricketer, Lahiru Thirmanne, he’ another hugely talented cricketer, but unfortunately, he was out due to injury. Then you have the left arm chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan coming up. So, I feel that if all these are coming, we’ve a good chance (of doing well in international cricket). Will the dual captaincy (Dinesh Chandimal for Tests and Upul Tharanga for ODIs) theory work for Sri Lanka? It will work, because Tharanga’s an experienced limited overs campaigner, and Chandimal’s concentrating on Test cricket at the moment. Both will deliver as captains. Perhaps too much of T20 and ODI cricket is harming test cricket here in Sri Lanka No, the cricketers need to stay to their basics. They know what is expected of them in test cricket. As long as they are sticking to their basics it is fine. There is no harm if you are playing attacking cricket in test matches. Do you see Virat breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for 100 international hundreds? You never know. Anything’s possible. He’s a hard-working player. He’s working on his game and trying to do really well. He’s a disciplined player, and he wants to prove himself as a captain, and as a batsman. He wants to do well for India. He’s on a roll as a captain and as a player. Lastly, who have been the most difficult bowlers you have faced in your time? There have been quite a few bowlers who I found it difficult to face during my playing days. You cannot mention one or two names. I think that’s how you handle your pressure. It was difficult but I was ready to take on the challenge. Mcgrath, Walsh, Ambrose, Wasim ,Waqar and Kumble. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JJsp7SDvxU