Brisbane: Dashing opener Virender Sehwag on Tuesday conceded that he needs to improve his batting performance at the top of the order to win matches for India in the cricket tri-series and said that he would curb his natural aggressive insitict from the onset.
"Five times I have been dismissed caught at third man or at the slips. I am looking at my performance and I have to improve for the side to win matches," Sehwag, who was the standing-in captain in place of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said after India lost to Sri Lanka by 51 runs here today.
"I think I have to leave a couple of balls early in the innings and then take the bowlers later on," said Sehwag, who has scored just 30 runs from the three matches he has played in the tournament.
He rued that Indian bowlers conceded too many runs in the slog overs and the batsmen also failed to deliver yet again in the series.
"We didn`t bowl well in the final 10 overs and we didn`t bat well later on. The way Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir was playing in the beginning, I thought we could get a good start but we lost three wickets early," Sehwag said.
He admitted that India missed regular skipper Dhoni, who missed today`s game because of a one-match ban imposed on him due to slower rate in their last match against Australia.
Sehwag also said that they still have the chance to make it to the finals.
"We missed Dhoni in this game. But if we play to our potential we can win the remaining two matches and make it to the finals," he said.
"We have to pull up our shocks and do well in the two matches left," he added.
Winning skipper Mahela Jayawardene was pleased with his side`s improved show but want his players to do better.
"We are getting better and better, we played smart cricket, we kept wickets in hand and put up a good score, we are still making some mistakes, hope we don`t make them in the bigger games," he said.
"Our bowlers were absolutely brilliant upfront. With the two new balls, the ball is doing more in these conditions, not giving easy singles in very important and we can keep the field up."
Paceman Nuwan Kulasekara was declared Man-of-the-Match for taking three wickets, including that of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir.
"My strength is to swing the ball, I`m very happy at getting Sachin`s wicket, our bowling attack is very good, seamers and spinners are doing a great job. Malinga is the No. 1 bowler in the world now, I`m very lucky to be bowling with him," he said.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 21:49