Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara puts his team's one-day series triumph over Pakistan in perspective.

He suggested that his players were yet to play to their full potential.

Sri Lanka secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with a clinical six-wicket victory in Dambulla.

Pakistan had set the hosts a formidable target of 289, the highest score at the Rangiri Stadium, achieved largely due to 66 from 19-year-old Umar Akmal.

But Mahela Jayawardene ensured a comfortable win with a scintillating 123 off 108 balls in an opening stand worth 202 with Upul Tharanga (76).

Sri Lanka wobbled with the loss of three quick wickets but eventually achieved victory inside 47 overs.

Despite strong performances right throughout the series, Sangakkara believes his players have a lot more to give.

Loopholes

"In this series and the Tests we have had a few situations where we showed a lack of maturity by not really closing the door on Pakistan," Sangakkara said.

"But we've shown a lot of heart and hunger to come back in those situations and turn matches around.

"I think we have a long way to go and lots of areas to improve on.

"Every single player is not really satisfied that he's really there yet.

"But as a team, there's a really good feeling and everyone is really bonding well together.

"When you're winning it becomes easy and with a team that's trying really hard it becomes easier.

"But these are the good times and we have got to plan for the bad times and ensure we have the reserves and the mental and physical strengths to go through the bad patches as well.

"You can be sure they are going to come, but if we keep trying to improve we will have less bad patches and more good ones and we can achieve consistency."

Sangakkara was full of praise for Jayawardene's performance.

Jaya joy

"Mahela always bats well when he is free to play his strokes," he said.

"Unfortunately or unfairly for him we have put him under a lot of pressure over the years by losing too many wickets up front.

"But today he had a free hand to go out there and bat and enjoy himself and he expressed himself fully."

Jayawardene was relieved to score his first century since June 2007.

"It was a good wicket to bat on, especially after the first few overs," he said.

"I think restricting Pakistan to 250-260 would have been good, but then we were not disciplined enough in the field.

"It was good challenge and I put my hand up and asked for an opportunity. It worked really well for me."

Fielding woes

Pakistan captain Younus Khan singled out his side's poor fielding as the chief cause of their loss.

"I thought we had a good total, but that opening partnership between Jayawardene and Tharanga took the game away from us," Younus said.

"Our fielding was pretty ordinary and it was another opportunity lost. But it's important to focus on the positives.

"With Umar's performances we now have a fairly good set of players and a decent combination."