Sonal Dinusha becomes 1st batter since 1959 to achieve rare feat in Test cricket

Sri Lanka’s in-form batter Sonal Dinusha has scripted history in the ongoing Test series against India. Dinusha became the first batter since England's Ken Barrington in 1959 to register four consecutive fifty-plus scores in the first four Test innings against India.

Barrington had scored 56, 80, 80 and 87 in his first four Test innings against India. Before him it was West Indies' Clyde Walcott with 152, 68, 54 and 108 on tour of India in 1948. In the same series, West Indies' Everton Weekes registered 128, 194, 162 and 101. The first to it was England's Douglas Jardine with 79, 85, 60 and 61 from June 1932 to January 1934. He is the only batter to do it in different series (home and away).

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Dinusha has become the first Asian cricketer to achieve the milestone against India. The left-handed batter had scored 100 and 84 in the Galle Test. In the ongoing Colombo Test, he scored 103 and another fifty-plus score.

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Dinusha joins Sangakkara, Karunaratne

Dinusha is also the third Sri Lankan batter to register 50-plus scores in all four innings of a two-Test series. Kumar Sangakkara did it against Bangladesh and England in 2013 and 2014 respectively. In 2018, Dimuth Karunaratne did it against South Africa in home series.

Dinusha repeats Flower’s feat

Dinusha is the second batter to do it against India in a two-Test series. In 200, Zimbabwe's Andy Flower had scored 183, 70, 55 and 232 on India tour.

A partnership to remember

Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha had shared an 112-run partnership for the seventh wicket. This is Sri Lanka's fourth 100-plus partnership for seventh wicket or lower while following own in Tests. 

Dinusha and Nuwantha also broke the record for highest seventh-wicket partnership while following on in Tests against India. The previous best belonged to Flower and Heath Streak with an unbeaten 98-run partnership in 2000.

Nuwantha missed his maiden Test half-century. He scored 46 runs from 150 balls, including four fours. The partnership helped Sri Lanka take a sizeable lead against Shubman Gill-led India.