Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten has backed Sonal Dinusha to establish himself in Test cricket, praising the young batter for his ability to perform under pressure after scoring centuries in both innings to help Sri Lanka draw the second Test against India in Colombo.
THRIVES IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
Kirsten said Dinusha’s composure in challenging circumstances particularly impressed him, especially given the pressure that often comes with batting in the middle order.
The Sri Lanka coach recalled first watching Dinusha closely during the team’s tour of the West Indies. Dinusha had come to the crease at No. 7 with Sri Lanka struggling at 110 for five and then shared a century partnership with captain Dhananjaya de Silva.
Kirsten said that innings immediately convinced him that Dinusha had the qualities required for Test cricket. He praised the batter for thinking carefully about his game, playing according to his strengths and displaying intelligence at the crease.
Dinusha’s two hundreds against India further reinforced that view, as he showed the patience and temperament required to construct long innings while his team was under pressure.
While Kirsten was pleased with the progress of Sri Lanka’s young batters, he admitted that the team still needs to improve its ability to finish Test matches.
He said failing to win Tests remains a concern and that Sri Lanka must find better ways of taking all 20 opposition wickets. According to him, that remains an area the team is continuing to work on.
The performances of Dinusha and debutant Pasindu Sooriyabandara, however, provided plenty of encouragement. Kirsten said he was particularly impressed by the young batters who had recently entered Sri Lanka’s Test setup and successfully handled pressure to make an impact.
PADIKKAL AND JUREL ALSO IMPRESS KIRSTEN
Kirsten, who has previously coached India, also praised two of India’s younger batters, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel.
Padikkal, who was subsequently named Player of the Series, impressed the Sri Lanka coach with his ability to adjust to the demands of Test cricket despite playing in multiple formats.
Kirsten said players who regularly switch between formats can sometimes bring a white-ball approach into Test cricket. However, he felt Padikkal had successfully adapted and demonstrated the right mindset for the longer format.
He added that he and India head coach Gautam Gambhir often speak about the importance of developing a proper Test-match mentality. Both, according to Kirsten, are strong advocates of traditional Test cricket and want players capable of constructing innings suited to the format.
Kirsten particularly highlighted Padikkal’s innings in Galle, saying the batter showed excellent judgement and avoided taking unnecessary risks.
Dhruv Jurel was another Indian player who caught his attention. Kirsten praised Jurel’s technique against short-pitched bowling and his ability to score heavily.
He described Jurel as a potential world-class player, pointing to his strong technique, effectiveness against the short ball and clear desire to produce big scores in Test cricket.
