Former Sri Lankan cricketer Avishka Gunawardene has said India have dominated the two-match Test series, but Sri Lanka can draw encouragement from the emergence of young batter Sonal Dinusha.
Speaking to ANI, Gunawardene said the results had not gone Sri Lanka’s way, but several individual performances offered hope, particularly Dinusha’s batting.
Dinusha, 25, was the leading run-scorer in the series, with 420 runs in four innings at an average of 140.00. He has scored three centuries and a half-century, with a best of 133 not out.
“You can always talk about the results, but obviously I take the positives out of it. Sri Lanka have found a brilliant player in Sonal Dinusha and the way he’s batting, I think he’s going to be a handful for Sri Lanka cricket,” Gunawardene said.
Keshara Adds Bowling Promise
Gunawardene also praised new off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, who has taken six wickets in the series, as another encouraging sign for Sri Lanka.
“We just played a new off-spinner (Keshara Nuwantha) who looks good. So there are quite a few positives other than the results, but needless to say India has dominated and is dominating this Test series,” he said.
India clinched the two-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Galle by 165 runs. Sri Lanka fought back in the second Test in Colombo to secure a draw.
Key Moments Remain Sri Lanka’s Weakness
Gunawardene said Sri Lanka’s problems extend beyond handling pressure, with poor management of crucial situations also costing the team.
“I can’t point out and say one reason or two reasons. I think it’s more than handling pressure; I think it’s the handling of situations that Sri Lanka haven’t done well.”
Decision-Making Must Improve
The former batter said Sri Lanka must make better decisions and execute their plans more effectively in key moments if they are to compete consistently with top teams such as India.
Gunawardene, who played six Tests and 61 ODIs for Sri Lanka, acknowledged India’s superiority while stressing that Sri Lanka’s young players and improved decision-making could provide a foundation for the future.