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[Saba Sports News] Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal commended the Afghan bowlers for their commendable performance during the second innings of the current one-off Test at the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground. After electing to bowl first, Sri Lanka dismissed Afghanistan for 198 runs and then amassed 439 runs in their first innings. Chandimal’s century, which included ten boundaries and a six, alongside Angelo Mathews’ 141 runs, featuring 14 fours and three sixes, were instrumental in building a strong total for Sri Lanka.
Chandimal acknowledged the Afghan bowling attack’s efforts, highlighting their effectiveness throughout the innings and his and Mathews’ partnership.
“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to the way the Afghanistan bowlers bowled. They did well through the course of the innings. Even in my partnership with Angelo [Mathews, who made 141], there were times when I supported him, and times when he supported me when I found it difficult,” Chandimal shared. “Even though a lot of their bowlers are inexperienced at the international level, they bowled very well. The seamers and the left-arm spinner especially were fantastic. From the morning yesterday until the close of play, their seamers maintained their energy and their body language. They did well to restrict us.”
Despite their relative inexperience at the international level, Chandimal pointed out the Afghan seamers and a left-arm spinner’s exceptional performance, maintaining energy and discipline from the start to the end of the day’s play. He noted the difficulty they posed, limiting opportunities for driving the ball for boundaries and maintaining good lengths and discipline.
“If you take my hundred or Angelo’s hundred, there really weren’t many balls where we could step forward and drive for four. I’m not sure there was a single driven four off the seamers. They bowled short to us, or bowled good lengths. Right through the day they had discipline,” he added.
The 34-year-old batsman also referenced Afghan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s remarks on the potential of the Afghanistan team to become more competitive in Test cricket with more opportunities. This match against Sri Lanka marks only the eighth Test for Afghanistan, indicating their nascent stage in the longest format. Chandimal expressed his support for Afghanistan’s cricketing future, acknowledging their capability to pose a challenge and his best wishes for their progress.
“What their captain said is right. If they get more opportunities to play Tests, they are a much better team in the next four or five years. They are a challenge for us, and I wish them all the best for their future,” he concluded.