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Sonal Dinusha third batter in 48 years to achieve rare feat vs India
Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha has become only the third batter in history to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India, joining West Indies great Everton…
Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha has become only the third batter in history to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India, joining West Indies great Everton Weekes and Pakistan legend Zaheer Abbas. The 25-year-old left-hander remained unbeaten on 85 on the third day of the second Test in Colombo, after earlier scores of 100 and 84 in his first two innings against India.
Dinusha is the first batter since Abbas in 1978 to achieve the feat. He also became only the second Sri Lankan after Duleep Mendis to score three consecutive 50-plus scores in his first three Test innings against India. His comfort against spin has been notable, with over 42% of his runs against spin coming through sweep shots, scoring at a strike rate of 169.44 without being dismissed playing the shot.
Sri Lanka finished at 265 for eight after rain and bad light ended play early, still trailing India's 503 for nine by 238 runs. The hosts need another 38 runs to avoid the follow-on, with Dinusha at the crease and last batter Lahiru Kumara for company.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Weekes and Abbas are among the most feared batters of their eras, and Dinusha's start puts him in extraordinary company this early in his career. The sweep-shot dominance against spin is a tactical edge that India's attack will need to counter when play resumes, especially with the follow-on target of 268 still within reach. The third day's weather interruption could work in Sri Lanka's favour, giving the lower order time to regroup. Day four will decide whether Sri Lanka can avoid the follow-on and push the match deeper.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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