Ecstatic Dhoni all praise for Sreesanth

Lavishing praise on temperamental pacer S Sreesanth for scripting India's record win over Sri Lanka in the second Test, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday said the comeback-bowler is as good as veteran Zaheer Khan when it comes to extracting reverse swing.

"It is important to bring fresh legs. Sreesanth is little different from Ishant when it comes to controlling the swing and I feel he is one of the best bowlers of reverse swing along with Zaheer Khan. Good to see him in action," an ecstatic Dhoni said after India beat the visitors by an innings and 144 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Sreesanth took six wickets, five of them in the first innings, to wreck Sri Lanka's batting and earn the Man-of-the-Match trophy. The win was also India's 100th in 432 Tests and their biggest over Sri Lanka.

"It is a moment of pride to be a part of the side that won the 100th Test. I think it wouldn't have been possible if the past cricketers had not done their job properly," he quipped.

Dhoni said the the massive 642-run total that the Indians managed in the first innings was crucial in ensuring India's domination.

"It was a good toss to win. The wicket was good to bat on and first day it started turn and I feel the amount of runs we scored in the first innings was important," he said.


"It is important to get some momentum and get into the third Test (from December 2 in Mumbai) with a win. There will be something for the fast bowlers and spinners as well because of the soil used in Mumbai," he added.

His opposite number Kumar Sangakkara blamed the loss on his team's batting collapse but promised to come back hard in the last match.

"It was a very good wicket. It didn't really offer much to the spinners but it wasn't hard to score. But when the rival openers get a 200-odd partnership on the opening day and the opposition scores over 600 in one and a half days, than it puts you on the backfoot. Their batting just took the game away," he said.

"We needed partnerships but no one really stuck around. We put ourselves under pressure, didn't occupy the crease long enough," he added.

Sangakkara said his team was strong enough to get over the massive defeat.

"Of course, we will come back. Every Test is an opportunity to improve and come back better. We are a mentally strong side and we will be back in the third Test. We just need to take our chances early on. Our bowlers have worked really hard and I am confident that the batsmen will also do well. We will come back hard," he said.

Sreesanth said he would continue to improve his bowling and strive for a better show in Mumbai.

"God has been kind. It is really nice to be back in the team. I want to thank everybody, my family, my team members for the support," he said.

"I hope to get the speed up to 141-145kms in the next match. I am working on it. This is just the first game and i have to keep the way I am bowling. I think there is still room for improvement. I keep on learning every single day," he added.