Sonal Dinusha's historic run in India Tests rewrites record books
What's the story
Sonal Dinusha, the Sri Lankan left-handed batsman, was on an absolute roll in the recently concluded two-Test series against India. He scored 80 or more in each of his four outings, though the series ended 1-0 in India's favor. Dinusha's twin tons in the second game in Colombo helped the Lankans earn a draw despite following on. On this note, we look at Dinusha's historic run in the series in stats.
Campaign
A stellar run in the series
Albeit in a losing cause, Dinusha put on a stellar show in the opener.
The 25-year-old batsman scored a fine century in Sri Lanka's first innings, hitting 100 runs off 168 balls. It was his maiden Test ton.
The left-handed batsman faced 128 balls in his second outing, scoring 84 runs.
Dinusha was SL's final wicket to fall in their first innings of the second Test, scoring 103 off 162 balls.
The southpaw then made a gritty 264-ball 103* as SL managed a draw despite following on.
Record breaker
Third SL batter with this record
Dinusha's consistency has put him on several notable statistical lists, making him only the third Sri Lankan batter to score 50-plus runs in all four innings of a two-Test series, as per Cricinfo.
He joins Kumar Sangakkara (twice) and Dimuth Karunaratne as members of this elite club.
Dinusha also became just the third batter to record four scores of 80 or more while batting at six or lower in a bilateral Test series.
He has joined West Indies's Garfield Sobers (5 vs England in 1966) and South Africa's Denis Lindsay (4 vs Australia in 1966-67).
However, both Sobers and Lindsay recorded their scores in a five-match series.
Indian challenge
Second batter to achieve this feat against India
Against India, Dinusha's achievement is even rarer.
He became only the fifth batter to score 50-plus runs in each of his first four Test innings against India.
The other players to do so are Douglas Jardine (1932-1934), Everton Weekes (1948), Clyde Walcott (1948), and Ken Barrington (1959).
Dinusha also became the first player to touch the 80-run mark four times while batting at six or lower in a Test series against India.
Milestones
First batter with this feat
Dinusha is now among just the six batters to hit three tons while batting at six or lower in a bilateral Test series.
However, he is the only one to accomplish this milestone in a two-match series.
While Dinusha scored 420 runs in the India series, no other batter has managed even 370 runs at six or lower in a two-Test series.
Twin tons
Here are more milestones
Dinusha became only the third batter to register hundreds in both innings of a Test for a side that was asked to follow on.
India's Vijay Hazare and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower are the others with this milestone.
He also became the fourth Sri Lankan and fifth batter overall to register twin hundreds in a Test match while batting at number six or lower.
His tally of 606 runs is the second-most for a Sri Lankan after five Tests. He is only behind Kamindu Mendis's 631-run tally.