Elated Hathurusingha on cloud nine

The Tigers levelled the two-match Test series 1-1 after losing the first five-dayer in Galle by a comprehensive margin of 259 runs. Hathurusingha told the media after the end of the Tigers' 100th Test, "I am very happy for the boys. They really worked hard for this win, especially after the Galle Test. They had a closed-door meeting and came out and said they would do things differently, and this is the result. “I didn’t do much. They decided to change. I prompted the questions. They had a heart-to-heart conversation in the dressing room for nearly an hour. The positive thing we saw was their energy over the five days. We still have some areas to improve, but there’s vast difference in body language and effort in this game,” he said. Regarding opening batsman Tamim Iqbal's dismissal on the final day, the former Lankan cricketer said, “I was upset because there was a run before that, but he didn’t take it. If he had taken the run, he would not be facing the next ball. I was upset with both of them (Tamim and Sabbir Rahman) for not running the single. “(But) for this situation, he batted well. He took the game away after lunch. We needed to put the pressure back on to them, and score runs. We needed to be positive and back our strengths. Everyone clapped when he hit the six off [Lakshan] Sandakan and it hit a glass but when he tried again and got out, everyone (were) scolding him. It is not right. I am all for players to play with freedom. They can make intelligent decision. I need to back those decisions,” he added. The 48-year old is of the opinion that Mustafizur Rahman's brilliant spell in the second innings was the turning point of the game. “They are one game less experienced now. They are improving, which is important. The game changed through Mustafizur’s spell after lunch on the fourth day. Nothing was happening, very hot for the fast bowlers. He came and bowled a magnificent seven-over spell to take three wickets. It was a crucial time of the game for me,” he said. He continued, “I had seen him bowling against South Africa in 2010 or 2011. He was a different bowler, and he showed it to me. We had a very good decision on what he is not doing now. We discussed after seeing video footage. He bowled very well in this game. When Fizz was bowling from one end, he checked on the runs from the far end.