Senior Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal registered his maiden Test double ton on Monday. And he did it at a crucial juncture – in the second Galle Test against Australia helping his team take a big lead in the first innings as the hosts aim to square the series.
Dinesh Chandimal Shattered Kumar Sangakkara’s Record
He remained unbeaten on 206* off 326 deliveries, stroking 16 fours and 5 sixes. This is now a new record in Sri Lankan cricket – Chandimal’s 206* is now the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan player against Australia; he went past the previous record-holder Kumar Sangakkara who scored 192 in 2007 in Hobart.
Highest individual score by a Sri Lankan player in Test cricket against Australia – 206* by Dinesh Chandimal. pic.twitter.com/Npj2saj260
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 11, 2022
Australia on the cusp of losing second Test
Dinesh Chandimal was, in fact, given a life when he was batting on 30 and edged Mitchell Starc behind but the umpire Kumar Dharmasena didn’t raise his finger. To Australia’s woes, skipper Pat Cummins had already used up – wasted – the three reviews available.
That cost the visitors big time as Chandimal dug in and batted for a long time. He ended Day 3 with 118* and continued to score runs, and at a brisk rate on Day 4, as the hosts amassed 554 in reply to Australia’s 364 in the first innings, taking a big lead of 190 which is likely to prove a match-winning lead.
But, number 5 in the batting line-up, Chandimal wasn’t the only one who tormented the Aussie bowlers with the bat. Skipper and opener Dimuth Karunaratne scored 86, number 3 Kusal Mendis scored 74, number 4 Angelo Mathews scored 52, number 6 Kamindu Mendis scored 61.
Australian bowlers toiled hard for 181 overs in the field, with off-spinner Nathan Lyon bowling 64 overs himself for a couple of wickets. Mitchell Starc took 4 while leg-spinner Mithell Swepson bagged a three-wicket haul for himself.
Australia, who won the first Test quite emphatically, are now struggling for parity in the second innings of the second Test.
They have lost 7 wickets for 117 runs with the centurion from their first innings, Steve Smith, bagging a duck. Debutant left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 6 wickets in the first innings, has bagged 5 wickets in the second innings too.
