Hang for the quotes from post-match ceremony.

Mahela: Batting first we were thinking 175 or 200 would have been good total on this wicket. But the batsmen showed character after quick wickets and our bowlers did a tremendous job. We didn't die wondering. It was important that our (top-order) batsmen survive that phase but full credit to Zak. All in all it's a good wicket, but initially against the new ball you have to survive. We tried everything in our bowling but in the end Dhoni and Badrinath - that partnership took the game away from us. All to play for at Colombo.

Dhoni: It was a good win to level the series. There was presssure on us. We lost Gauti (Gambhir) in the morning but Zaheer Khan did the job for us. We would have liked to win more comfortably but in the end it's about winning. We let the individuals handle their bowlers rather than creating pressure by huddling in a room and talk strategies. 1000 things are discussed and over discussed in meeting some times. It was good to see Badrinath play well. He did well against Mendis and Murali. choosing to bowl was a blessing in disguise. The wicket looked better than the previous game but there was something for the new ball. Zaheer played well. We have three days gap now and we can enjoy the next two days in Colombo before beginning the preparation.

Man of the Match: Zaheer Khan: "The important thing was to be consistent on this wicket; just hit the right areas and let the wicket do the job. As a spearhead of the bowling attack I will always have pressure to provide the early breakthroughs. I was just bowling within myself on this wicket. All the bowlers did the job and put pressure on their batters. I am looking forward to rest of the three ODIs; hope it goes well.

This is Veera, signing on behalf of the scorer Srinivas. Thanks for logging on Machangs!