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[caption id="attachment_47129" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Angelo Mathews remained 52 not out against India. Image Source: ICC[/caption] Internet Desk: Sri Lanka pull off a thrilling victory over India at The Oval in their must win game to stay in contention of qualifying to the semi finals. Danushka Gunathilaka(76), despite playing his first game in a global event, showed great maturity at the top. He hung in and stitched a game-changing partnership (159) with Kusal Mendis(89) to chase a massive target of 322. Returning from an injury Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews remained 52 not out to take his team over the line. After the match Angelo said there was no pressure on them while chasing as no one really expected them to win. “It was a very important game for us. You know, no one really expected us to win. That took us -- you know, that took a lot of pressure off ourselves, and we just went out there, expressed ourself, and you can see what we can do when we play with a lot of freedom,” said Mathews at the post match press conference. Sri Lanka will face another sub-continent team Pakistan in a do or die encounter in couple of day’s time. According to Mathews they will go to play the match with zero expectations as it is helping them to play with a lot of freedom. “We don't want to think too far ahead. We just want to take one game at a time. Now it's done, and we look forward to the next game. It will be the same plans, go out there, no expectations. Go out there, play with a lot of freedom. You know, if we play good cricket, I'm certain that we can beat any team.” Graham Ford has received some harsh criticism over the last couple of weeks. But Angelo backed his coach by saying that it’s their job take crucial decisions at crucial times for the team. “Yeah, it's always the coach and the captain. Today, once again, Kusal-Perera's call was also crucial. As a captain, I had to send him, and it would have been a few bullets fired at me if it hadn't gone too well. But that's what we are there for, to take crucial decisions at crucial times, and it doesn't matter if it fails. “But, yeah, I mean, there is a lot of responsibility in the coach and the captain. So we do our very best out there, and we get the boys to do their very best, and we get the boys to try really hard, and that's what we look for,” said Mathews. On being asked whether there was any definite plan sweeping Jadeja or playing him a lot more squarer Angelo replied,” Not really. I mean, it wasn't a plan as such. It's just our own strengths. I mean, if you see Kusal Perera, he always sweeps. Kusal Mendis always sweeps. We had to spin well on this wicket. We had to put a lot of pressure on Jadeja as well. “Even though it was a good wicket to bat on, he still held on a little bit, and I thought that the start we got really set us a good platform for the middle order players to go out there and express ourselves.” Mathews lauded Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis’s brilliant partnership too as their partnership laid the foundation of Sri Lanka’s victory. “Yeah, I mean, mind you, to walk into a game knowing that he wasn't even in the 15 and Kapugedera got injured yesterday, and he had to step in and to open the batting against a very strong opposition, was fantastic the way he batted. It was very pleasing the way he batted. You know, Kusal Mendis and Danushka played with a lot of freedom, and that really set us a platform. As I said before, for us, it would make it so much easier for myself and Kusal Perera and the middle order batters. Don't forget Asela, that little cameo, really won us the game. It was a fantastic batting effort,” added Mendis.