Rex Clementine in Worcester

Statistically, Dimuth Karunaratne is Sri Lanka’s most successful opening batter although successive generations have been charmed by the elegance and charm of Marvan Atapattu and Sidath Wettimuny. Both stylists have something that Dimuth doesn’t have – big Test hundreds at Lord’s, the home of cricket.

Sidath stunned Lord’s in Sri Lanka’s maiden appearance in 1984 stroking a magnificent 190 while Marvan charmed us with an entertaining 185 enabling Sri Lanka to enforce the follow-on in 2002. Leave alone Lord’s, Dimuth struggled all over England. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Chester-Le-Street, Headingley or Lord’s, Dimuth Karunaratne has failed to master the art of playing Duke’s ball. A high score of 50 after five Test matches in England doesn’t do justice to one of Sri Lanka’s finest match winners.

But that’s not the end of the world. Even the great Kumar Sangakkara struggled to master the English conditions in Test match cricket. He had played a season of County Cricket in Warwickshire in 2007 but still big runs kept eluding him.

In 2014, going on his last tour to England, Sanga gave up his IPL deal and instead ended up at Durham to play a few games ahead of Sri Lanka’s Test tour. The results were stunning indeed. A first ever Lord’s Test hundred followed and Sanga scored heavily as Sri Lanka completed a first ever series win in England in 2014.

Dimuth too was part of that series. He didn’t score big, but his 30s and 40s and the partnerships with Kaushal Silva helped see off the new ball so that Sanga and MJ could make merry.

Dimuth last year played County Cricket for Yorkshire. Hopefully, the experience will come handy when he turns up at Old Trafford for the first Test.

One thing for Dimuth’s advantage is that since Sri Lanka are playing this time in the latter part of the English summer, the wickets will be flatter and batters will breathe easy.

Not just for personal milestone, but Sri Lanka needed Dimuth to stand up badly. The left-hander scores big when he gets a start and if he provides the starts that Sri Lanka are looking for this could be an interesting Test series.

It has to be also remembered that it’s been seven years now since Sri Lanka last played a Test match in England. Since of late, Dimuth has really blossomed as an opening batter adding new facets to his game as he looks to cut loose putting bowlers under pressure. Earlier on in his career, he was more of a grafter trying to play long vigils. Now he attacks loose balls even if they are early in his innings and that results in the field being spread and life becomes much easier.

At 36, Dimuth is unlikely to play another series in England. For such a gentleman who helped Sri Lanka overcome many crises he needs to go out with better milestones in England.