Prepared hard to tackle Ashwin & Jadeja: Dimuth Karunaratne
Kolkata: Bangladesh Cricket team coach Chandika Hathurusingha submitted his resignation from his post couple of days back. There are rumors that he might join Sri Lanka team as their head coach. Sri Lanka cricket team is currently touring India. They are now playing a warm-up game against Board President XI in Kolkata ahead of facing the World No.1 Indian cricket team in the first Test which is scheduled to begin from November 16.
Nic Pothas is currently working as an interim coach of the Lankan cricket team. After the resignation of Hathurusingha there are strong chances of him joing as the head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team. Star Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne also has heard this in media but he don’t have an idea whether Hathurusingha would become their new coach or not.” I have no idea about this, the final decision will be taken by the cricket board. I had the news that he is coming but it is not confirmed yet,” said Dimuth while speaking to the media.
On being asked whether his arrival would help the side, Dimuth replied,” Yes definitely it will help our team because he knows the most of the guys. At one stage of my career I played under him too.”
The Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav just destroyed the Sri Lankan batting line-up during their tour of Lanka. Against this vicious spin attack Karunaratne hit a century in Colombo during the second Test. During Sri Lanka’s tour of Dubai against Pakistan he scored a massive 196 in the second Test. According to Dimuth they have practiced very well in Sri Lanka ahead of this tour.” We have practiced hard on the dusty wickets in Sri Lanka. The first Test is still 5 days away, we will prepare well against a good spin attack as well.”
“The hundred against Pakistan gave me a lot of confidence as the wicket was very tough to bat on. As for India, Ashwin is the main wicket taking bowler of the side. In the second Test in Colombo I just played first five overs without trying any difficult shots. It was a tough wicket too, I played a lot of reverse sweeps and waited for the loose balls to come and that was the reason for my success in that game.”
Except the spinners, the World No.1 side has fast bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. On being asked about his preparation against the pacers, Dimuth replied,” I have played against them in Sri Lanka too. I have some specific plans against them as well and when they will bowl to me I will improvise those plans.”
The Lankan team management has asked for some off-spinners and leg spinners from the CAB for preparing more before facing the trio of Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep. As per sources they have also asked for grassy wicket against ahead of facing India’s star pacers like Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav.