''I just couldn't sit for too long out there. I would go mad. I just wanted to be back here with the guys and be part of it. Everything was happening miles away,'' said Yardley, who arrived from Perth after undergoing surgery on his left eye.
''I would love to have been here for the Asia Cup final. The fielding was brilliant. The world record last week was quite fantastic,'' said Yardley.
''The guys have accepted the fact that despite the world records, you've still got to win Test matches,'' he said.
''People said these guys couldn't bat for two days. They have turned that around,'' Yardley said.
The former Australian Test cricketer is under medication and cannot bat or bowl to the players. He will have to return to Perth in about five or six weeks to have his artificial eye permanently fixed.
''What's happened is quite amazing. In the old days they just take the eye out and replace it with a glass eye, that didn't move. Now, they saw an artificial eye ball back and keep as much of the muscle fibre, so that when they put the final piece on in the front of the eye, it creates its own suction against this eye ball. When I move my right eye, the left eye will move with it. Quite amazing,'' said Yardley.
He said that his role as coach was not to send out messages and steam roll the players, but to talk to them.
''To reflect on the day's play is part of the coaching that I enjoy very much. Until my eye settles down I am not allowed to do anything active. You won't see me running, coaching or catching,'' said Yardley.
Commenting on the current Test match he said ''The first four batsmen who got out on the first day, played four bad shots, I am glad we lost the toss and they put us on a pitch which was a bit damp and seaming. We must learn to play on these types of pitches if we are to go to England and win the World Cup in 1999.''
''You've got to get used to pitches that are not perfect for batting all the time,'' he said.
''I rate Aravinda's (de Silva) innings under these conditions as fantastic. The Indians bowled enough bad balls which he put away for runs. They tightened up in the last session and made him fight, and he still ended up with 144. It is the best innings I've seen him play,'' he said.
Yardley said he was not the least surprised by Sri Lanka's performances in the past few years.
''It's never gonna surprise me because I believe, in Sri Lanka, there is much, if not more cricketing talent than probably anywhere in the world. So many nations would love to have that talent. I am there to harness it,'' he said.
Yardley praised the efforts of physio Alex Kountouri for getting the boys very fit, and manager Duleep Mendis, who took on the added burden of coach in Yardley's absence, and did an excellent job.
''The Cricket Board was worried how the team would run when I told them I had to go for this operation. I talked to Duleep and he was very keen to take on the role of manager_coach for a little while. With Duleep in his dual role and Alex in charge of fitness while I was away, I knew they'd come good in the one_day game,'' said Yardley.
Before his contract expires at the end of the next World Cup in 1999, Yardley wants to ensure that Sri Lanka has its own coach.
''If Sri Lanka is not looking after itself and we can't find someone here to keep things going well, then I haven't done my job,'' said Yardley.