Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has lashed out at Sri Lankan players for their unprofessional conduct on day two of the second Test against India on Monday in Colombo. Just ahead of the stumps on day two, Prabath Jayasuriya and Kamil Mishara expressed their disappointment over the umpires' decision to continue playing in fading light. Strikingly, Jayasuriya was dismissed by Manav Suthar just ahead of the close of the play day two, which further added to Sri Lanka’s misery.
"I see that as being slightly unprofessional. I know you want to nudge the umpire, saying it's bad light, but you can't take your eye off the ball. I thought the bad-light situation and their angst with the umpire consumed their minds, and they weren't focusing on the ball because the light was never that bad. We know the light is never so bad that you can't see the ball. It's just that there is a certain amount of darkness that is considered bad light, and it's offered to the batter," Manjrekar said on the Sony Sports Network.
"Then maybe Sri Lanka had a point that it was bad-light enough, but that doesn't condone the mistake that they made. You can't blame a nightwatchman for getting out. That was a great delivery from Suthar, a nice variation, and a superb delivery from Prasidh Krishna at the finish as well," he added.
Manjrekar, meanwhile, lauded Indian bowlers for their efforts to put Sri Lanka under pressure.
"So credit goes to India for making that happen. Unfortunate for Sri Lanka, we'll have a look at Prabath. India will take that. India also played a very good part when the covers were being put on," Manjrekar asserted.
"They stood on the field, putting pressure on the umpire, saying that they believed play could start and all these little things. They're heavyweights now in world cricket. If the Indian team just stood there believing that the game could start and felt the light was good enough, that puts a certain amount of pressure on the umpires," he said.