Asela Gunaratne put on 121 runs with Niroshan Dickwella and then 67 with Dilruwan Perera to guide Sri Lanka to their highest successful run-chase in Test cricket at the R Premadasa earlier today. Gunaratne remained unbeaten on 80* as Sri Lanka finished on 391/6 to win by 4 wickets.
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Gunaratne and Dickwella came together at the fall of the 5th wicket, that of Angelo Mathews, who most would have believed was the key to Sri Lanka’s innings. They looked to rotate the strike right from the on-set and did not allow the Zimbabwean spinners to settle into a line, with Dickwella, in particular, sweeping the ball to good effect just as the visitors had done throughout this tour.
They say that fortune favors the brave and it certainly did favor Dickwella as he survived a contentious stumping call by third umpire Shamshudeen. Having been drawn into a drive by a nicely flighted delivery from Sikandar Raza, Dickwella seemed to have his toe on the line when wicket-keeper Regis Chakabva took the bails off, however, the TV umpire decided that he had some minute part of his boot behind the line; Dickwella was on 37 at the time and Sri Lanka needed 151 runs for the win. He had another slice of luck when he was put down by Chakabva when he was on 63 and went on to make 81.
Gunaratne, though suffering from a hamstring injury, ran surprisingly well between the wickets alongside Dickwella and the pair had little to no trouble manipulating the field during their time at the crease. Dickwella’s attacking instincts proved to be his downfall however as he gloved a reverse sweep to the keeper, just as he was looking good to make a maiden Test century.
With Sri Lanka needing a further 64 to win when Dickwella was dismissed, the hosts had a few nervous moments with Cremer, in particular, causing some problems. He went past the outside edge on numerous occasions but just could not draw the nick. Cremer unfortunately fell one wicket short of becoming the only Zimbabwean player to pick up a Test 10-wicket haul in an away game as he finished with figures of 5/125 and 4/150.
With the game still in the balance, it was Gunaratne who displayed nerves of steel, putting on 67 runs alongside Dilruwan Perera as Sri Lanka got home comfortably in the end; Dilruwan finished with 29*.
Earlier in the day Graeme Cremer continued to be Zimbabwe’s star with the ball as he induced two poor shots from Mendis and Mathews. Mendis played a sweep across the line and top edged to the man at mid-on on 66, while Mathews, after an overly cautious start, offered up a return catch to Cremer on 25. At lunch it was still anyone’s game but impressive innings by both Dickwella and Gunaratne, coupled with a seemingly bad umpiring decision and some sloppy fielding by the visitors gave Sri Lanka the win in the end.
