Sonal Dinusha has been a persistent challenge for the Indian cricket team during the ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka. He scored his maiden Test hundred against India in the first Test at Galle.
After India declared their first innings at 503 for 9, Sri Lanka were under pressure. Dinusha came to bat at number 6 with his team struggling at 137 for 5. He batted for a long time and made it difficult for India to take wickets. Dinusha had already shown his quality in Galle. He and Niroshan Dickwella rescued Sri Lanka from a difficult position with a strong partnership.
Born in 2000, Dinusha played his early cricket at Mahanama College. He was part of the Sri Lankan squad for the 2020 ICC Under-19 World Cup. He made his first-class debut in 2018 for Colombo Cricket Club. Before his international debut, he had accumulated 3698 runs and 133 wickets in first-class cricket. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Colombo last year.
He had scored 43 and 92 against the West Indies before the India series. He missed out on a century in the Caribbean but made up for it with his hundred in Galle. In Colombo, rain interrupted play on the third day. Sri Lanka were at 265 for 8 when stumps were called early. They still trailed India by 238 runs. Dinusha remained unbeaten on 85 from 137 balls.
The Humble Journey Behind Sri Lanka’s Rising Star
Sonal Dinusha came from a humble background and did not have the financial resources to pursue his dream. He might have given up if not for the support of his coach, Sonal Dulshan Alwalage, and others around him. Dulshan has worked with him for 13 years.
Dulshan was not surprised by Sonal’s performances against India. In Galle, Sonal scored his maiden Test hundred. In Colombo, he remained unbeaten on 85 on the third day. His sweep shot has been his most productive scoring shot in the series. He has practiced it extensively since childhood and spends two to three hours on it in the nets.
Sonal started his career as a left-arm spinner. He was a decent bowler, but his batting became his real strength. He adapted to the demands of the game and evolved into a batting-focused player. He does not lose his temper and listens attentively. He prioritizes the sport above worldly matters.
When Sonal earned his first national call-up, Dulshan had tears in his eyes. He felt that his 13-year project had finally succeeded. He said words could not fully describe the sacrifices made to achieve that moment.
Sonal is already the captain of the Colombo Cricket Club. His coach believes he has good leadership qualities. But he added that Sonal needs more training to build the foundation to secure his place in the Sri Lankan team.
Sonal Dinusha Becomes Only the Third Batter to Achieve This Against India
Sonal Dinusha has achieved a rare milestone in Test cricket. He became only the third batter in history to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India. He joined West Indies legend Everton Weekes and Pakistan great Zaheer Abbas in this elite list.
Dinusha had already scored 100 and 84 in his first two Test innings against India. In the second India vs Sri Lanka Test at Colombo, he remained unbeaten on 85 on the third day. This was the first time in 48 years that a batter had achieved this feat. Abbas had done it in 1978 with scores of 176, 96, and 235 not out. Weekes had scored 128, 194, and 162 in 1948. Weekes went on to score centuries in each of his first four innings against India.
Sonal Dinusha’s performance has been particularly impressive against spin. He has scored 106 runs through sweep shots in the ongoing series. This includes conventional, slog, and reverse sweeps. It is the most by a batter against spin in a Test series since ball-by-ball data became available in 2007. Joe Root holds the overall record with 160 runs through sweeps against Sri Lanka in 2021. Ben Duckett has 112 against Pakistan in 2022.
Dinusha has taken the sweep to another level. He has scored 122 of his 284 runs against spin through sweeps. That is nearly 43 percent of his runs. He has scored them at a strike rate of 169.44 without being dismissed playing the shot. He is also only the second Sri Lankan batter to score 80 or more in his first three innings against India. Duleep Mendis was the first with scores of 105, 105, and 51.
FAQs
Q. When did Sonal make his Test debut?
A. Sonal Dinusha made his Test debut against Bangladesh.
Q. What did Dinusha score in Galle?
A. Dinusha scored his maiden Test century against India.
Q. How many runs did Dinusha score in Colombo?
A. Dinusha remained unbeaten on 85 after the third day.
Q. What rare record did Sonal Dinusha achieve?
A. Dinusha scored 80-plus in his first three innings.
Q. Who has coached Dinusha for 13 years?
A. Dulshan Alwalage has coached him for 13 years.
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