Sri Lanka's star batsman and captain Dhananjaya de Silva, has showcased his exceptional form yet again, scoring his 12th career Test century. This remarkable feat marks his second century of the match, an outstanding contribution to his team's performance.
Dhananjaya achieved this milestone, propelling Sri Lanka to a strong position with a score of 274/6 in their second innings. With this innings, Sri Lanka now holds a commanding lead of 366 runs in the match.
The elegant right-hander has been in sublime touch throughout the game, displaying exceptional skill and determination at the crease. His ability to build substantial innings under pressure has been a key factor in Sri Lanka's dominance in this match.
This century adds to Dhananjaya de Silva's growing reputation as one of Sri Lanka's most reliable and accomplished batsmen. His skillful strokeplay, temperament, and ability to convert starts into big scores have once again been on full display.
Batting coach Thilina Kandamby pointed out that de Silva trained with the side during the ODI series in Chattogram, from March 10 to 18, to prepare for this Test series. He could have returned to Sri Lanka for a break after the T20Is, but de Silva thought he was better off spending time understanding Bangladesh's conditions.
"He stayed back with us after the T20s when he was not picked for the ODIs," Kandamby said. "He had about eight or nine days to [go home and] come back fresh, but still he decided to stay back. He wanted to get to know about the wickets and conditions. I think it paid off as well. He had a couple of good training sessions with us during the ODI series. He was determined.
"I think he is handling [the captaincy] really well. We won his first Test in charge, against Afghanistan. He led the team very well. We have about two or three past captains [Karunaratne, Chandimal and Mathews] in our side, so they are guiding him too. We are starting to play as a group, especially with the experienced Test players."
In the field too, de Silva has shown signs of proactivity. He has rotated his bowlers well. For example, de Silva didn't hesitate to take Prabath Jayasuriya out of the attack after just one over when Bangladesh's tail-enders Shoriful Islam and Khaled Ahmed went after him. Jayasuriya was initially brought on to give the fast bowlers a break, so de Silva had a tough call to make but was decisive all the same. He's also not been afraid to go against his bowlers when it came to field changes in this Test.
Kandamby said that the Sri Lanka batters understood that supporting de Silva on the third day was key. "Dhananjaya has always had that determination and he's able to play his game regardless of the match situation. I know both of them [Dhananjaya and Kamindu] would have played without any records on their mind but at the moment we needed it most in both innings - I have watched a lot of cricket - these were some of best centuries I've seen."
"We didn't really talk too much about plans after the day's play yesterday, we decided to return fresh today and this morning was when we shared our thoughts with the players. I think the fact that we spoke to them closer to the start of the day was a good thing.
"That said, it was Dhananjaya who carried out the plan and I think it was because he was out in the middle that the rest of the batters knew that if they supported him well, we would be able to reach a good position."
Dhananjaya de Silva has now etched his name in the annals of Sri Lankan cricket history by becoming the first Sri Lankan captain to achieve the incredible feat of scoring twin centuries in a Test match. He joins an elite group of Sri Lankan cricketing legends, who scored twin centuries. Dhananjaya now stands as the sixth Sri Lankan batsman to achieve this remarkable milestone. The list includes Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva (twice), Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Kumar Sangakkara (twice).
Dhananjaya de Silva has now become only the third Sri Lankan batsman, after Dilshan and Sangakkara, to achieve this remarkable feat on Bangladeshi soil. This double century performance also catapulted Dhananjaya's Test career past the 3,500-run mark, further solidifying his status as one of Sri Lanka's premier batsmen.
Playing in his 53rd Test match, Dhananjaya has an impressive average of over 40. His tally of 12 Test centuries and 13 half-centuries speaks volumes about his ability to convert starts into substantial scores.
Taking the reins as captain for the second time in a Test match, Dhananjaya de Silva has showcased exceptional leadership skills alongside his batting prowess. Despite a duck in his first outing as captain, he has led from the front with an outstanding display of batting mastery in this Test.
Adding to his impressive records, Dhananjaya has also accumulated over 1,800 runs in away Test matches, boasting a stellar average of over 40. His ability to perform consistently in challenging conditions away from home further cements his stature as one of Sri Lanka's finest Test batsmen.
As Sri Lanka aims to set a formidable target for the opposition, Dhananjaya's century has put them in a commanding position. His partnership with fellow batsmen has been crucial in building a substantial lead and putting pressure on the opposition.
Cricket fans worldwide are witnessing a masterclass from Dhananjaya de Silva, who continues to be a standout performer for Sri Lanka.
As the match progresses, all eyes will be on Dhananjaya as he aims to further consolidate Sri Lanka's lead and guide his team to a commanding position. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipate more exceptional performances from this talented batsman as the game unfolds.
Dhananjaya achieved this milestone, propelling Sri Lanka to a strong position with a score of 274/6 in their second innings. With this innings, Sri Lanka now holds a commanding lead of 366 runs in the match.
The elegant right-hander has been in sublime touch throughout the game, displaying exceptional skill and determination at the crease. His ability to build substantial innings under pressure has been a key factor in Sri Lanka's dominance in this match.
This century adds to Dhananjaya de Silva's growing reputation as one of Sri Lanka's most reliable and accomplished batsmen. His skillful strokeplay, temperament, and ability to convert starts into big scores have once again been on full display.
Batting coach Thilina Kandamby pointed out that de Silva trained with the side during the ODI series in Chattogram, from March 10 to 18, to prepare for this Test series. He could have returned to Sri Lanka for a break after the T20Is, but de Silva thought he was better off spending time understanding Bangladesh's conditions.
"He stayed back with us after the T20s when he was not picked for the ODIs," Kandamby said. "He had about eight or nine days to [go home and] come back fresh, but still he decided to stay back. He wanted to get to know about the wickets and conditions. I think it paid off as well. He had a couple of good training sessions with us during the ODI series. He was determined.
"I think he is handling [the captaincy] really well. We won his first Test in charge, against Afghanistan. He led the team very well. We have about two or three past captains [Karunaratne, Chandimal and Mathews] in our side, so they are guiding him too. We are starting to play as a group, especially with the experienced Test players."
In the field too, de Silva has shown signs of proactivity. He has rotated his bowlers well. For example, de Silva didn't hesitate to take Prabath Jayasuriya out of the attack after just one over when Bangladesh's tail-enders Shoriful Islam and Khaled Ahmed went after him. Jayasuriya was initially brought on to give the fast bowlers a break, so de Silva had a tough call to make but was decisive all the same. He's also not been afraid to go against his bowlers when it came to field changes in this Test.
Kandamby said that the Sri Lanka batters understood that supporting de Silva on the third day was key. "Dhananjaya has always had that determination and he's able to play his game regardless of the match situation. I know both of them [Dhananjaya and Kamindu] would have played without any records on their mind but at the moment we needed it most in both innings - I have watched a lot of cricket - these were some of best centuries I've seen."
"We didn't really talk too much about plans after the day's play yesterday, we decided to return fresh today and this morning was when we shared our thoughts with the players. I think the fact that we spoke to them closer to the start of the day was a good thing.
"That said, it was Dhananjaya who carried out the plan and I think it was because he was out in the middle that the rest of the batters knew that if they supported him well, we would be able to reach a good position."
Dhananjaya de Silva has now etched his name in the annals of Sri Lankan cricket history by becoming the first Sri Lankan captain to achieve the incredible feat of scoring twin centuries in a Test match. He joins an elite group of Sri Lankan cricketing legends, who scored twin centuries. Dhananjaya now stands as the sixth Sri Lankan batsman to achieve this remarkable milestone. The list includes Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva (twice), Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Kumar Sangakkara (twice).
Dhananjaya de Silva has now become only the third Sri Lankan batsman, after Dilshan and Sangakkara, to achieve this remarkable feat on Bangladeshi soil. This double century performance also catapulted Dhananjaya's Test career past the 3,500-run mark, further solidifying his status as one of Sri Lanka's premier batsmen.
Playing in his 53rd Test match, Dhananjaya has an impressive average of over 40. His tally of 12 Test centuries and 13 half-centuries speaks volumes about his ability to convert starts into substantial scores.
Taking the reins as captain for the second time in a Test match, Dhananjaya de Silva has showcased exceptional leadership skills alongside his batting prowess. Despite a duck in his first outing as captain, he has led from the front with an outstanding display of batting mastery in this Test.
Adding to his impressive records, Dhananjaya has also accumulated over 1,800 runs in away Test matches, boasting a stellar average of over 40. His ability to perform consistently in challenging conditions away from home further cements his stature as one of Sri Lanka's finest Test batsmen.
As Sri Lanka aims to set a formidable target for the opposition, Dhananjaya's century has put them in a commanding position. His partnership with fellow batsmen has been crucial in building a substantial lead and putting pressure on the opposition.
Cricket fans worldwide are witnessing a masterclass from Dhananjaya de Silva, who continues to be a standout performer for Sri Lanka.
As the match progresses, all eyes will be on Dhananjaya as he aims to further consolidate Sri Lanka's lead and guide his team to a commanding position. Cricket enthusiasts eagerly anticipate more exceptional performances from this talented batsman as the game unfolds.
Follow US
Most Viewed Stories
