Chandimal, Jayasuriya impress as records fall for Sri Lanka

Chandimal
Chandimal

Sri Lanka's emphatic victory over Australia in the second Test in Galle was the first time the island nation had defeated the Aussies by more than an innings, but a host of individual records also fell during the match.

While Prabath Jayasuriya was adjudged Player of the Match for his 12-wicket haul on debut, it was the innings of star batter Dinesh Chandimal that really turned the match in Sri Lanka's favour.

Chandimal smashed 16 fours and five massive sixes during his unbeaten knock of 206, with the stylish right-hander upping the ante late in Sri Lanka's first innings to ensure he reached his double century and broke the previous record for the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan player against Australia.

Previously Kumar Sangakkara held the record with his 192 against the Aussies in Hobart in 2007, but Chandimal upstaged the Sri Lankan legend with his eye-catching innings.

Chandimal was rewarded by being named Player of the Series and Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne was elated with the performance of the 32-year-old.

“Chandi has been in good form and he brought the form here," Karunaratne said after the match.

"Galle is a place where he has done well (in the past). I remember a game against India where he helped us to win from nowhere.

"It was one of his best knocks, one was against India, then this one.

"He showed his experience. When your senior player gives a knock like that as captain it makes things easy for me.

"Angelo (Mathews) can fail, I can fail, but I know that someone will fire for us. That’s a good sign for the series that’s ahead."

Jayasuriya's efforts with the ball were just as impressive as the left-armer showed he was worthy of the call-up on debut with a brilliant individual performance.

Jayasuriya picked up six wickets in each innings and his match figures of 12/177 were the best for Sri Lanka on Test debut and the fourth-best overall.

The 30-year-old's haul was the second best of all time by Sri Lankan players against Australia, with Rangana Herath's 13/145 in the 2016 Test in Colombo the only better figures.

Spin on the sub-continent is so often the Achilles heel for Australia's star batters and skipper Pat Cummins was left to lament the difficult conditions his side faced.

"It might be a reality check that it's tough playing away from home, in different conditions to what we've grown up playing in," Cummins said.

"We turned up knowing it's a tough place to win.

"In the last two tours we've learned a heap, we've come a long way in how we've played."

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