India Dominating Test Series, but Young Batter Sonal Dinusha a Major Positive for Sri Lanka: Ex-Cricketer Gunawardene

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Avishka Gunawardene acknowledged India's firm grip on the ongoing Test series but emphasized that Sri Lanka has identified significant positives, particularly the emergence of young batter Sonal Dinusha.

Speaking to ANI, Gunawardene stated that while the series results have not favored Sri Lanka, the team can draw encouragement from the performances of its emerging players. In the current two-match Test series against India, Dinusha has stood out as his team's top run-scorer and ranks second overall. The 25-year-old Sri Lankan has accumulated 294 runs across four innings, averaging an impressive 98.00, with two centuries and one half-century to his name, including a high score of 103.

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You can always talk about the results, but obviously I take the positives out of it. Sri Lanka has found a brilliant player called Sonal Dinusha and the way he's batting, I think he's going to be a handful for Sri Lanka cricket.

"You can always talk about the results, but obviously I take the positives out of it. Sri Lanka has found a brilliant player called Sonal Dinusha and the way he's batting, I think he's going to be a handful for Sri Lanka cricket," Gunawardene remarked. He also commended the team's new off-spinner, Keshara Nuwantha, noting encouraging signs despite India's dominant showing. Nuwantha has taken six wickets in the series.

"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," Gunawardene added. India currently leads the series 1-0, having won the opening match in Galle by 165 runs. In the ongoing second Test in Colombo, India regained control after disciplined bowling, with rain halting play on Day 4. After enforcing the follow-on, India took six wickets in Sri Lanka's second innings, leaving the hosts at 229/6 at stumps, holding a slender 16-run lead. Dinusha and Nuwantha were unbeaten at the close of play.

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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.