Colombo, August 27: Sri Lankan batsman Sonal Dinuja was named Player of the Match in the second Test held in Colombo. Dinuja scored 103 runs in the first innings and followed it up with an unbeaten 133 in the second, leading to a drawn match. He expressed immense joy over his performance.
Dinuja attributed his success to his preparation for the turning track, which favored spin bowling. He also praised the lower-order batsmen for their contributions.
Receiving the Player of the Match award amidst loud applause at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Dinuja stated, “First of all, I want to mention those who helped me reach this point. I would like to thank our coaching staff, my school coach, provincial coach, and my family. It’s all about preparation in Galle and here; I had an idea about the turning pitches, so I practiced accordingly.”
In this series, Dinuja has scored a total of 419 runs at an impressive average of 140, including three centuries. He remarked, “I would also like to say that the lower-order batsmen batted really well. This helped me score runs. I tried to perform my best by understanding the situation. I am very happy to have scored three centuries. When the team was in trouble, I wanted to contribute, so I am glad I could do that. It is a joy to score runs against India as a player.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva praised the selection committee and team management for supporting young players like Dinuja. He said, “It’s all about finding talent. I believe the selectors and coaches have given me the opportunity to bring youth into the team and allow them to play for the country. It’s a good problem to have; it will be tough to make space for the three players who are currently playing and those who are set to return.”
Leave a Comment