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Before the second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the country’s batting coach, Thilina Kandamby, had stated, “The senior players need to take responsibility because they have played a lot of cricket in Galle.”
After 376 runs, with 240 coming from the bats of Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, and Angelo Mathews, Kandamby may reasonably feel that his remarks were remembered. Particularly when that is only 22 runs short of what all three of them scored during the first Test.
It was Chandimal who deservedly received the majority of the day’s accolades after scoring 116 runs out of 208. He was in from the second over after Pathum Nissanka fell, batting on a hot and muggy day in Galle despite a rain break. After that, he attacked the opposition, scoring at a little less than a run per ball, while Sri Lanka scored four runs per over for the first fifteen overs.
“I had to go in the third [second] over itself after Pathum got out, but even then my goal was to bat positively,” Chandimal said after the day’s play. “It helped that the pitch was better than the one in the first Test. That one was a bit sluggish, but this one was better in that sense.”
But after that, as the spinners established themselves, New Zealand was able to stop the runs. However, Chandimal adjusted when he realised the game’s pace had changed. After reaching 41 off just 42 deliveries, he needed another 37 deliveries to reach his next nine runs and reach his half-century.
“In Galle, it’s a bit easier when the seamers bowl and the field is not so spread out,” he said. “So we tried to maximise that period. But once the spinners came on, they made sure that they kept bowling good lines and lengths, and that was why we had to drop down a second gear.”
His balanced approach to batting also gave him the mental fortitude to turn down numerous half-chances that were scattered throughout his innings. He had edges that avoided the slip cordon no less than three times, and he also had a leading edge that came dangerously close to short cover. Nonetheless, Chandimal enjoyed these occurrences, characterising them as essential components of Test batting.
“Things like that need to be there for you to score a hundred. You need to have a bit of luck go your way – you know for an edge to go into a gap or into the ground.
“We try our best to play our shots, but sometimes the ball doesn’t go where we intend. At the same time, we have to give the bowlers credit too. They are good bowlers, so it is natural for things like this to happen in an innings.”
Although it was Chandimal’s first time batting at No. 3, this was his 16th Test century, his second of the year and his fifth since 2022. Having played just 11 innings there, he wasn’t very interested in taking on this role in the past, but he has now embraced the task for the benefit of the club, the gloves being given to Kusal Mendis, and as something that goes along with his senior status in the lineup.
“I have been batting at number five for most of my career, but I was asked to think about the team as Kamindu is an up-and-coming player in Test cricket, and move up to number three.
“With my age, it’s also difficult for me to keep wickets as well – I’m 34 now – so I said yes. I took that opportunity with both hands because have to groom young players to take Sri Lanka cricket forward.”