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Sri Lanka's veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal is 'over the moon' with the fightback of his team in the Manchester Test after losing wickets early on Day 1. Chandimal lauded skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant Milan Rathnayake for fighting it out in the first innings.
'We are over the moon as a team, not for the result but the way we played in this game is unbelievable. In the first half an hour on the first day, we lost three wickets. Milan [Rathnayake] and Dhananjaya batted brilliantly and took us through the game," Chandimal said in the post-match press conference after the five-wicket loss, courtesy Joe Root’s unbeaten half-century.
However, Chandimal is not happy with tailenders not hanging around in the second innings which left the visitors 40-50 runs short. After Kamindu Mendis fell, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 17 more runs and set a target of 205.
"We really fought back as a team. We were short of 40-50 runs but every time we are telling this after losing the game, we have to learn that and especially our tailenders didn't contribute that well. If they could hang in there for 10-15 overs, we could have got those runs so unfortunately it didn't click," he said.
Chandimal lauds Kamindu
Chandimal praised Kamindu who scored 113 runs. It is his third century in fourth Test. Chandimal scored 79 runs and shared a 117-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Kamindu. As a couple of quick wickets fell, Chandimal could not reach his century against the second new ball and lost his wicket to Matthew Potts.
"He is unbelievable. First tour to England with the national team, in the first game scoring a century. It's a wonderful thing to do, he is a world class player as far as I'm concerned. I took two tours to make a hundred in England but he has done that very easily. He is a fine player, a player like him, if he can come and play in county cricket for one or two years, it will be really good for him, for his future.
"The positive mindset (on his approach). When I had a chat with him when he came for lunch, I asked him, what is the secret and he said that he is in a positive mind. He is a player like that and it is really good for the team," he added.
Chandimal gives injury update
Earlier, Chandimal was hit on thumb by Mark Wood's delivery which led to him leaving the field only to return later. The 34-year-old hopes he regainst fitness ahead of the Lord's Test.
"I had the same injury six months ago also, so in the x-ray they said that it was aggravated so hopefully, I'll be fit to play the next game," he said.
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