Asela Gunaratne injury hurts Lanka batting
GALLE : Sri Lanka manager and former batsman Asanka Gurusinha admitted his bowlers ended up bowling to Shikhar Dhawan’s strengths and paid the price on the first day of the Galle Test.
The India opening batsman put India in control with a swashbuckling 190. “It was a fine effort by him. We also ended up bowling to his strength and he capitalised,” said Gurusinha, member of the victorious 1996 World Cup team.
Sri Lanka were left to rue the dropped catch of Dhawan when he was on 31.
LEFT TO RUE
“Hard to appreciate an effort after you concede 400 runs in a day. India are a very strong side. We dropped a catch off Dhawan and paid the price. Not sure what would have happened had that catch been taken. It was a double blow. We dropped the catch and lost a player,” lamented Gurusinha. Asela Gunaratne, who spilled the chance, fractured his thumb.
OUT OF SERIES
Gunaratne is out of the game and the series. “Gunaratne will undergo surgery in a short while. Most probably he will miss a minimum of four weeks. We will know in the next 48 hours about the time frame. He has fracture in three places.”
TOPSY-TURVY RECORD
While it’s a tough situation, Sri Lanka are taking confidence in the stadium’s topsy-turvy record that has seen teams lose in one session.
Gurusinha warned: “You never know. This is Galle and after scoring 600 runs you can still lose a Test.
“Our batsmen have to just to go out and play good cricket. Let’s see what happens on the last two days.”