Sonal Dinusha’s match-saving heroics against India have helped Sri Lanka avoid a potentially embarrassing fall to ninth place in the ICC Test team rankings, with the draw in the second Test allowing the hosts to remain seventh.
Sri Lanka entered the series under pressure in the rankings after slipping from sixth following their defeat to the West Indies, while Bangladesh had also moved ahead following their victory over Australia.
A 2-0 series defeat against India would have pushed Sri Lanka further down the table to ninth, but the draw in Colombo ensured they held on to seventh place.
Dinusha played the decisive role in preventing a series whitewash, producing centuries in both innings of the second Test as Sri Lanka battled to a draw.
He finished the two-Test series as its leading run-scorer and faced more deliveries than any other batter, emerging as Sri Lanka’s standout performer despite the hosts losing the series 1-0.
Dinusha also became only the third Sri Lankan to score three centuries in a two-Test series and the eighth Sri Lankan to register hundreds in both innings of a Test.
His resistance ultimately proved valuable beyond saving the Test, with the draw also protecting Sri Lanka from a significant fall in the ICC Test rankings. (Newswire)