Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal scored his maiden double century on Monday on the fourth day of the second Test against Australia.
Former skipper Chandimal, who started the day with 118 runs, slammed four and two sixes off pacer Mitchell Starc to achieve the feat as he jumped into applause from the home crowd in Galle.
Sri Lankan players to score double century against Australia:
Dinesh Chandimal.
That’s all #SLVAUS pic.twitter.com/ZtFdJ3Pu1C
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 11 July 2022
The senior batsman surpassed his previous best of 164 and attacked the bowlers to increase Sri Lanka’s dominance in the match.
His double century is the highest score by a Sri Lankan player against Australia in Hobart, surpassing former captain Kumar Sangakkara’s score of 192.
Chandimal is playing his 68th Test since his debut in 2011 and averages over 40, including 13 centuries.
The hosts scored 499 for eight at an interval in Galle, after opener Pathum Nissenka was ruled out with Covid-19, becoming their sixth Sri Lankan player to acquire the virus during the past two weeks.
Sri Lanka resumed their first innings at 431-6, with the overnight pair of Chandimal and Ramesh Mendis adding 68 runs before left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc took a break.
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Starc, in another inspired spell of bowling, dismissed Ramesh for 29 lbw and nearly overtook debutant Mahesh Thekshana when the umpire was given out but the batsman successfully reviewed.
Chandimal, who recorded his 13th Test century on Sunday, scored 150 runs to garner applause from the crowd.
Captain Pat Cummins bowled Thikshana for 10 to bring Prabhat Jayasuriya, who took six wickets in his Test debut, to the crease.
Australia lead the two-match series 1-0 and have registered an early win within three days at the same venue.
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