Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten has backed Sonal Dinusha to make a mark in Test cricket, praising the young batter for his ability to thrive under pressure after his twin hundreds helped Sri Lanka secure a draw against India in Colombo. Dinusha scored centuries in both innings at the Sinhalese Sports Club, producing a composed performance that helped Sri Lanka stave off defeat in the second Test.
THRIVES UNDER PRESSURE
Kirsten said Dinusha’s ability to handle difficult situations had stood out to him, particularly given the demands of batting in the middle order. “I think it’s never easy batting at six in a team because often you come in under pressure. I saw that he really thrives in tough situations,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference.
The Sri Lanka coach recalled first taking notice of Dinusha during the team’s tour of the West Indies. “The first time I watched him bat properly was in the first innings in the West Indies,” he said.
2nd Test Day 5 Highlights | Scorecard
“He came in at seven and we were 110 for five and he put on a 100 with the captain (Dhananjaya de Silva). I thought, jeez, this guy can play. I love the way he plays Test cricket. He thinks about it. He plays to his strengths and he is a smart cricketer.”
Dinusha’s twin hundreds against India only strengthened that impression, with the young batter showing the temperament to build long innings when Sri Lanka were under pressure.
While Kirsten was encouraged by the performances of Sri Lanka’s young batters, he acknowledged that the team still has work to do when it comes to closing out Test matches.
“I think not winning Test matches is a concern. We need to work out ways that we can get ourselves 20 wickets. So that’s certainly a work in progress,” he said.
The emergence of Dinusha and debutant Pasindu Sooriyabandara, however, offered Kirsten plenty of encouragement.
“I was really impressed with some of the young batters that are new to the Test team, who have shown their mettle in Test match cricket – particularly Sonal Dinusha.
“Then there is Pasindu Sooriyabandra, who is basically on debut. It was nice to see them take the opportunity under pressure and make a performance. So that’s a real positive.”
PADIKKAL, JUREL IMPRESS
Kirsten, who previously coached India, was equally impressed by two of India’s younger batters during the series: Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel.
Padikkal, who was later named Player of the Series, impressed Kirsten with the way he adapted to Test cricket despite playing across formats.
“I think Devdutt has taken his chance. I think he played great Test match cricket. The danger with players who play across all the formats is that they bring the white ball version of cricket to the red ball game,” Kirsten said.
Kirsten also revealed that he and India head coach Gautam Gambhir often discuss the importance of players developing a strong Test-match mindset.
“Myself and Gautam, we’re both Test match purists. So we often talk about it and we want players who can play Test match innings. I thought Dev did that brilliantly in both Test matches, especially that innings in Galle, he didn’t take too much risk.”
Jurel was the other Indian batter to catch Kirsten’s eye, with the Sri Lanka coach particularly impressed by his technique against the short ball and his appetite for big scores.
“The other guy that I was very impressed with was Jurel. I think he’s a world-class player. He plays the short ball really well. Great technique and he just looks like he wants to score big runs at Test level. So, those two definitely stood out for me,” he added.
– Ends
