Pasindu Sooriyabandara who made his mark in Test cricket with a solid knock of 80 on the second day of the second Test against India at the SSC grounds yesterday said that playing first-class cricket and, for the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team helped him get into the national side.
Sooriyabandara who has been playing first-class cricket since 2018 and has scored 14 centuries, four of which he has converted to double hundreds said: “Playing first-class cricket is a good experience for any player. Coupled with playing in the ‘A’ team is very helpful. It is certainly important for any player to reach international level. The more you play, the more the player will mature.”
Sooriyabandara got the opportunity to break into the Test scene when Dinesh Chandimal was concussed and was ruled out of the first Test at Galle which resulted in him playing as a concussion sub. He was asked to bat at number three in Chandimal’s position and was dismissed for a golden duck in his very first Test innings.
“I couldn’t make use of the first opportunity I got in Test cricket to score some runs for the team at Galle. I thought from the second opportunity I got, that I must contribute something to the team,” said Sooriyabandara at the end of the day. “I think the 80 I scored today I could have gone and made a big score. Although I am happy with my innings I could have gone and played a bigger knock.”
“After I was out for a duck in my first Test innings I got the backing of the coaches and the players and from my parents, friends and supporters. That backing is important for any player and I am thankful to them. It’s a big privilege to get the opportunity to play in the national team. Once you get there, it’s your maturity that matters. You have to do your basics right at whatever level you play.”
Sooriyabandara said that Sri Lanka’s challenge tomorrow was to get the 39 runs to avoid the follow-on.
“More than the pacers, the wicket helped the spinners. We have to adapt to it on how to score runs in such conditions. As a batsman what we could not achieve in the first innings we will try to do in the second.” (ST)
