Chronicle EditorNEW DELHI. — Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal said dropping his deputy Lahiru Thirimanne for the third and final Test cricket against India was not an easy call but he was vindicated as Dhananjaya de Silva’s gallant century secured a thrilling draw yesterday.
No. 3 batsman Thirimanne managed a fifty in his four innings in India but was dropped for the Delhi Test due to his tendency to play loose shots.
The tourists slotted de Silva in the crucial spot and the 26-year-old braved a thigh injury to score 119 and help his team eke out a draw at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Once he retired hurt just before tea, debutant Roshen Silva, who followed his first innings duck with a fighting unbeaten 74, partnered Niroshan Dickwella and batted out the final session.
“The vice-captain not playing, it was tough on both him (Thirimanne) and the team,” Chandimal told reporters. “It’s a tough call but Dhananjaya and Roshen Silva deserved their opportunities, especially Roshen who has scored more than 6 000 runs in domestic cricket.” — Reuters.
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