Sangakkara ramps up pressure

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara talked up his side's chances after their arrival in India for the three Test series

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Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara believes the onus is firmly on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men as his team attempts to break a 27-year winless streak on their forthcoming three Test tour of India.

Sri Lanka, who have never won a Test in India in 14 attempts, arrived in India today for a three-Test series, the first match of which starts in Ahmedabad on November 16.

Sangakkara says his team has set daily targets and believes they ability to do better than previous Sri Lanka sides.

“As a team we can either go back as the other teams in the past have done or we can change things,” Sangakkara said.

“We have lot of work to do, but we are here to do well and try and win and change this thing of never winning a Test match in India.

“The responsibility is on India to stop us from doing that. The pressure is on the home side."

Sangakkara was unsure if the home side would be affected by the loss to Australia in the one-day series.

“It is hard to say. Some teams react positively while some don’t,” he said.

“We know we haven’t won here and for us we need to try and change that.”

Several of the Sri Lanka players are touring India for the first time and Sangakkara said the inexperience of his bowling attack in Indian conditions could be a good thing.

“Inexperience is sometimes a good thing,” he said. "The Indian batsmen having not played our fast bowlers regularly in the longer form of the game - this is something which can work in our favour."

Several of the Sri Lankan players are contracted with Indian Premier League teams, but Sangakkara believes that experience counts for nothing and it does not subtract from India holding the advantage.

“Test cricket is different altogether from a twenty20 game. Different pitches, different sides,” he said.

“The fact that they (India) are very reluctant to lose to visiting sides gives it an altogether different dimension."