Sonal Dinusha and Pasindu Sooriyabandara have provided rare batting positives for Sri Lanka in a difficult Test series against India, but their emergence comes amid a longer struggle to develop consistent match-winning batters.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s batting troubles have continued during the second Test against India, but the performances of Sonal Dinusha and Pasindu Sooriyabandara have given the home side two reasons for optimism.
Dinusha remained unbeaten on 85 on the third day, while Sooriyabandara scored 80. Both showed composure against India’s bowling and offered evidence that Sri Lanka may have young batting options capable of contributing over the longer term.
Key Highlights
- Sonal Dinusha reached an unbeaten 85 and has been Sri Lanka’s most productive batter in the series.
- Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 80 and impressed with his defence, strokeplay and handling of shorter deliveries.
- Sri Lanka’s recent record against strong opponents highlights the challenge of turning promising individual innings into sustained team success.
Sonal Dinusha emerges as Sri Lanka’s brightest batting hope
Dinusha has made the strongest impression of Sri Lanka’s newer batters during the series. His ability to sweep spin effectively has stood out, while his unbeaten innings also showed that he can control his attacking instincts when circumstances demand it.
All six of his fours and two sixes in the innings had come on the leg side, reflecting how effectively he capitalised when India offered scoring opportunities in that area.
At the time of the source report, Dinusha was averaging 134.50 in the series. His performances have therefore placed him among the clearest positives for Sri Lanka despite the team’s wider difficulties.
Sooriyabandara makes a strong case for more chances
Sooriyabandara’s 80 was another encouraging development. He handled the early movement from India’s seamers with a sound defensive approach and showed patience when conditions were demanding.
His attacking game became increasingly effective as the innings developed. He punished shorter deliveries on both sides of the pitch and also produced an effective sweep and reverse sweep.
The innings could strengthen his case for further opportunities at Test level, including when Sri Lanka’s absent first-choice batters return to the top order.
Sri Lanka’s home record remains a major concern
The individual performances have to be viewed against a difficult backdrop for Sri Lankan Test cricket. A defeat in this match would mean seven consecutive home Test losses against India.
Sri Lanka have also lost their last five home Tests against England, while Australia won both Tests during its most recent tour of the island. Those results underline the gap between promising individual contributions and consistent team performance.
Young batters have struggled to sustain early promise
Sri Lanka’s recent history contains several examples of batters who made impressive starts before encountering significant difficulties. Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne both produced early half-centuries against Australia in 2013, but neither immediately established the consistency expected of the next generation of leading batters.
Dimuth Karunaratne also experienced a major loss of form before rebuilding his career, while Kusal Mendis endured a sequence of five Test ducks and was subsequently dropped.
Kusal Perera’s unbeaten 153 in Durban remains an extraordinary example of individual brilliance, yet his overall Test career has not consistently matched that performance.
Kamindu Mendis highlights the challenge
Kamindu Mendis offers perhaps the clearest recent example of the difficulty Sri Lanka faces in converting early excellence into sustained output. He averaged 74.92 in 2024 and was regularly expected to produce big scores.
However, he had gone 18 innings without a Test century, with his average since November 2024 falling to 29.23. His 32 against India was his highest score of the series at the time of the report.
Dinusha and Sooriyabandara face the bigger test
Sri Lanka have produced several talented batters who eventually found ways to overcome periods of decline. Chandimal developed into a reliable run-scorer, Karunaratne became one of the country’s leading Test batters of his generation, and Kusal Mendis rebuilt his career while moving down the order and taking on wicketkeeping duties.
Dinusha and Sooriyabandara now offer another opportunity for Sri Lanka to build around young batting talent. Their next challenge will be maintaining the discipline and consistency shown in this innings and turning promising performances into results for the team.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Editor at The Nation Bulletin. With over 3 years of experience in digital journalism and news reporting, he covers national affairs, governance, and breaking current events with a commitment to factual accuracy and verified reporting.
