REX CLEMENTINE at Old Trafford

Sri Lanka’s wicket keeper batsman Dinesh Chandimal told journalists that he was happy with the fight back shown by his team in challenging conditions at Old Trafford in the first Test against England. Sri Lanka lost the game by five wicket but were able to take the game deep.

“It was a good fight back by the boys. Probably we were short by 50 runs. The tail didn’t contribute in the second innings. If they had done we could have got there. When you come to England it will take time to get used to conditions.”

“In the first innings if we had scored 300 runs it would have been great. We lost three wickets in the first half hour. Very difficult when that happens. In previous tours too we have struggled to compete in England in the first game. But this time it was different.”

When Chandimal copped a nasty blow to his right thumb from a Mark Wood delivery, there were fears that a fracture might rule him out of the series. But x-rays revealed that there was no fracture and the former Sri Lanka captain resumed his innings.

“This is the fourth time my thumb has been broken. I thought this time too it was gone. The doctor told me that it was the previous injury. I told the doctor that I wanted to bat and he gave me an injection. I told the manager too that I wanted to bat. Probably my last tour to England. So, I was desperate to play.”

Chandimal was full of praise for his batting partner Kamindu Mendis with whom he added 118 runs for the seventh wicket.

“This is his first tour to England and scoring a hundred in the first game is unbelievable. He is world class. It took me two tours to score a Test hundred in England. He is a fine player. A positive mindset is his greatest asset. I spoke to him when we were having lunch. He said that he is in a very positive frame of mind. He is a player like that. It is good for us to have a teammate like him.”

Sri Lanka’s bowlers had done decently well but they lacked intent in the third morning and that allowed England to take a comfortable first innings lead of 122.

“We let the game slip away on day three in the morning. Can’t blame the bowlers actually. They bowled two hours and 45 minutes back to back sessions the previous day. We have not done that in the last ten years. The weather was tough too.