Sri Lanka Test cricket team head coach Gary Kirsten has stressed the need to develop pitches that can also influence the game for fast bowlers, instead of the dusty pitches that only benefit spinners, for future Test matches in Sri Lanka.
Kirsten has particularly praised the pitches used in the Test series against India, stating that the pitches allowed batsmen to score runs while allowing both spinners and fast bowlers to participate in the match.
Of the 67 wickets taken by bowlers from both teams in that series, 24 were taken by fast bowlers. That is almost 36 percent of the total wickets.
The highest wicket-taker for Sri Lanka was Asitha Fernando, who took 10 wickets in the series at an average of 20.
Kirsten points out that pitches that “play hard” produce players who play hard.
“We should not only build pitches for spinners. We need pitches that can win matches for fast bowlers too. Playing in all conditions is the only way to develop a complete cricket team,” Kirsten said.
He also expressed his happiness over the Sri Lankan fast bowlers’ 7-10 wicket haul in the second innings of the Test match in Galle.
Kirsten also stressed that Sri Lanka’s main pace bowler Asitha Fernando needs more support. Sri Lanka’s other main pace bowler, Lahiru Kumara, has taken only 3 wickets in this tournament at an average of 57.33.
“Ashitha is a world-class bowler. He has bowled very well in this tournament. But we need more support from him. You can’t just rely on spin bowling to take 20 wickets,” Kirsten said.
Meanwhile, Kirsten also paid special tribute to Sonal Dinusha, who emerged as Sri Lanka’s standout player of the tournament.
Kirsten said that Dinusha’s century, which she scored under intense pressure on the fourth and fifth days of the Test match at the SSC Stadium, will go down as one of the greatest saves in the history of Sri Lankan Test cricket.
Dinusha, who also scored a century in the first innings of the tournament, remained at the wicket until the fifth day, making a huge contribution to saving the match for Sri Lanka.
"He's a player who plays very well in difficult situations. I like the way he plays Test cricket. He plays thoughtfully, plays to his strengths. He's a talented and intelligent player," Kirsten said of Dinusha.
