Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu on Sunday called for an improved display by his batsmen after Saturday's hard-fought six-wicket win over a weakened West Indies in the first cricket Test here.
"We want to have all our batters going a bit better in the next game," Atapattu said after Sri Lanka were made to sweat by the unheralded rivals for four days at the Sinhalese sports club.
The second and final Test of the short series begins in the hill resort of Kandy on Friday.
Many observers felt the hosts won only because of the inexperience in the West Indian ranks, missing 10 first choice players including the world's top-ranked batsman Brian Lara.
A sponsorship row with the West Indies Cricket Board has depleted the touring squad to the extent that captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul's 87 Tests are almost double the rest of the team's combined tally of 55 appearances.
Yet Sri Lanka were reduced to 47 for four and 113 for seven in the first innings before tailenders Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan put on 66 for the ninth wicket to restrict the West Indian lead to 58 runs.
Then chasing a modest 172 to win, the hosts slumped to 49-3 against the hostile pace of Jermaine Lawson, who finished with four wickets in each innings.
Atapattu admitted that playing a second-string West Indies had its own disadvantages.
"They had nothing to lose as there was only one side expected to win," the Sri Lankan captain said.
"People might have expected us to run through but that does not always happen in cricket.
"Actually, to have a win after playing for four innings was more pleasing than just playing one innings and getting them out twice.
"The West Indies have a good attack and in the first innings they were very disciplined, bowling a good length and line which got us in a bit of bother."
West Indian coach Bennett King was disappointed his team did not win.
"Yes, I am disappointed that we did not come away with a win." said Bennett, a former coach of the Australian Cricket Academy.
"We played very well initially and set up what should have been a positive result for us.
"But it is very hard to win a cricket match when five of your top six score 11 runs. They are certainly better players than that."
Having made 285 in the first innings, the tourists were skittled for 113 in the second to let Sri Lanka off the hook.
While Vaas starred with seven wickets and a top score of 49 in the first innnings, the Sri Lankans were delighted by Muralitharan's successful return to Test cricket after an 11-month absence because of shoulder injury.
Having taken just one wicket in the first innings, the prolific off-spinner grabbed six for 36 in the second - the 45th time he has claimed five wickets or more in an innings.
"He was a bit worried after the first innings because after bowling 30 overs he rarely ends up getting just one wicket," Atapattu said of his star bowler.
"But he bowled a better line in the second innings. He is back to being the normal Muralitharan."
The 31-year-old was Test cricket's most successful bowler with 532 wickets when he fell and injured his right shoulder during a Test match against South Africa at home last August.
The injury allowed Australian Shane Warne to skip past Muralitharan and the leg-spinner begins the Ashes series against England on Thursday with a world record tally of 583 from 123 Tests.
Muralitharan now has 539 wickets from 92 games.
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