Galle: Former Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal Credited the support of friends and family for helping him come back between runs after being in and out of the national team on Saturday.
The 32-year-old Chandimal scored 76 in Sri Lanka’s 222-run stand on the first day of the first Test against Pakistan in Galle to lead his team’s comeback.
His innings came after an unbeaten 206 – his maiden Test double century – registered a series-level win over Australia earlier this week.
“If you are playing Test cricket you have to be mentally strong,” said Chandimal, who averaged over 42 in 68 Tests after playing the day.
“I have been out of the team many times. It makes me stronger. You have to score runs to stay in the team. So I thought about the technique and thought about not getting distracted myself and when the opportunity came, I thought about it. took advantage.”
Chandimal has had a tough time after being sacked as Sri Lanka’s captain following his team’s loss in Australia in 2019.
The senior batsman has since failed to find a regular spot in the team across all formats, but his recent return to form has allowed him to reflect on his struggles.
He said, “You need help in that difficult time. I get a lot of support from my family, my wife, coaches, teammates and my friends. I am glad I got that.”
“You need that kind of support when you’re down. It’s hard if people are criticizing. We don’t want to fail and we need support. Glad I contributed.”
Chandimal added 44 runs for the ninth wicket with Mahesh Thekshana, who scored 38 runs, and 89 runs for the last two wickets after trailing Sri Lanka 133-8.
“We are not happy with what we have done. We could have been happy if we had got 300 figures,” Chandimal said.
“But we can catch up if we bowl right tomorrow and we have an opening to come back.”
Pakistan resumed on Sunday for 24 for two as their pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets in Sri Lanka on the expected track in favor of the spinners.
The 32-year-old Chandimal scored 76 in Sri Lanka’s 222-run stand on the first day of the first Test against Pakistan in Galle to lead his team’s comeback.
His innings came after an unbeaten 206 – his maiden Test double century – registered a series-level win over Australia earlier this week.
“If you are playing Test cricket you have to be mentally strong,” said Chandimal, who averaged over 42 in 68 Tests after playing the day.
“I have been out of the team many times. It makes me stronger. You have to score runs to stay in the team. So I thought about the technique and thought about not getting distracted myself and when the opportunity came, I thought about it. took advantage.”
Chandimal has had a tough time after being sacked as Sri Lanka’s captain following his team’s loss in Australia in 2019.
The senior batsman has since failed to find a regular spot in the team across all formats, but his recent return to form has allowed him to reflect on his struggles.
He said, “You need help in that difficult time. I get a lot of support from my family, my wife, coaches, teammates and my friends. I am glad I got that.”
“You need that kind of support when you’re down. It’s hard if people are criticizing. We don’t want to fail and we need support. Glad I contributed.”
Chandimal added 44 runs for the ninth wicket with Mahesh Thekshana, who scored 38 runs, and 89 runs for the last two wickets after trailing Sri Lanka 133-8.
“We are not happy with what we have done. We could have been happy if we had got 300 figures,” Chandimal said.
“But we can catch up if we bowl right tomorrow and we have an opening to come back.”
Pakistan resumed on Sunday for 24 for two as their pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets in Sri Lanka on the expected track in favor of the spinners.