Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha Enters Cricket History with Rare Milestone Against India
COLOMBO – Sri Lankan batting sensation Sonal Dinusha has etched his name into the annals of cricket history, becoming only the third player ever to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India.
In a display of grit and technical brilliance, the 25-year-old left-hander remained unbeaten on 85 when rain and fading light brought an early close to the third day of the second Test in Colombo. With this knock, Dinusha has joined a legendary cohort featuring West Indies icon Everton Weekes and Pakistan batting maestro Zaheer Abbas as the only players to achieve such a prolific start against the Indian bowling attack.
A Historic Achievement
Dinusha’s feat is a significant rarity in the modern game. Before his current series heroics, he had already registered scores of 100 and 84 in his opening two Test innings against India. By securing another 80-plus score, he became the first batter since Zaheer Abbas in 1978 to accomplish this milestone.
The historical context of this achievement is immense:
- Everton Weekes (1948): Began his career against India with scores of 128, 194, and 162. He famously went on to score centuries in his first four innings against India before finally falling for 90 in his fifth.
- Zaheer Abbas (1978): Recorded scores of 176, 96, and 235 not out in his first three outings against the Indian side.
Dinusha’s latest effort also makes him only the second Sri Lankan batter and the 10th player overall to register three consecutive 50-plus scores in his first three Test innings against a specific opponent. He follows in the footsteps of the legendary Duleep Mendis, who previously achieved this for Sri Lanka with scores of 105, 105, and 51.
Mastering the Spin
Beyond his statistical milestones, Dinusha has garnered attention for his masterful dismantling of spin bowling. Utilizing an array of conventional, slog, and reverse sweeps, the left-hander has accumulated 106 runs against spin via sweep shots alone in the current series—the highest tally for any batter in a Test series since such ball-by-ball data tracking began in 2007.
The young batter’s reliance on the sweep is both calculated and devastating. Of his 284 total runs against spin, a staggering 42.95% have come from sweep shots, delivered at a remarkable strike rate of 169.44. Notably, he has hit 11 boundaries and four sixes while playing these strokes without being dismissed once.
A Frustrating Stand for India
The third day of the second Test was defined by Dinusha’s stubborn resistance. Resuming after tea at 216 for seven, India appeared poised to wrap up the Sri Lankan tail quickly. Instead, Dinusha occupied the crease for 201 minutes, effectively stalling the Indian charge.
He shared a crucial 57-run partnership with Keshara Nuwantha for the eighth wicket and remained at the crease alongside Lahiru Kumara as the pair added an unbeaten 35.
While India successfully dismantled the middle order—with Manav Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Siraj picking up key wickets—Dinusha’s poise kept his team afloat. At the close of play, Sri Lanka stood at 265 for eight, trailing India’s total of 503 for nine by 238 runs. As the team looks to avoid the follow-on, all eyes remain on the young left-hander who has already secured a rare Test feat that will be talked about for years to come.
