'Takes me back to era of Sangakkara, Jayawardene': Former India player hails SL batter Dinusha
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Takes me back to era of Sangakkara, Jayawardene': Former India player hails SL batter Dinusha")
Sonal Dinusha Photograph: (AFP)
Sri Lanka batter Sonal Dinusha emerged as a standout performer in the drawn two-Test series against India, showcasing remarkable resilience and consistency to deny the visitors a series clean sweep.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised Sri Lanka’s young star Sonal Dinusha for his impressive performances against India, saying he reminded him of legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Dinusha scored 420 runs in four innings at an average of 140, including three centuries and a fifty. His unbeaten 133 on the final day of the second Test helped Sri Lanka secure a draw and denied India a series clean sweep.
Speaking on Cricinfo, Pujara said, “The way he has batted throughout the series has been phenomenal. He takes me into that era of batters like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. When I was growing up, I used to look up to those Sri Lankan players. In 5-10 years, Sonal Dinusha can be one of the greats of Sri Lankan cricket. He has shown that potential. The way he batted on the last day of the second Test match, it was a commendable effort.”
Pujara also praised Keshara Nuwantha and Lahiru Kumara for their resistance in the lower order.
“Credit to Keshara Nuwantha and Lahiru Kumara as well. The partnerships were very crucial. The kind of technique Nuwantha showed was surprising because his first-class record does not suggest that. Especially against the spinners, he was allowing the ball to hit the bat,” Pujara said.
“The pitch was on the easier side, but the ball was turning a bit. There was a little bit of movement for the seamers with the second new ball, and there was pressure,” the former India batter added.
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Sri Lanka were forced to follow on after being bowled out for 290. They were 218/6 in the second innings before Dinusha and Nuwantha added 112 runs. Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 took Sri Lanka to 429/9, securing a draw.
