Former Indian player Sanjay Manjrekar applauded Sri Lankan batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara for his compact technique, comparing him with a young Indian batter Virat Kohli as well. After getting a duck on his debut in the first Test, Pasindu scored a sublime 80 in the first innings of the Colombo Test as well. He came in to bat with Sri Lanka struggling at 8/2 in
response to India’s 503. However, he smashed nine boundaries in his maiden international fifty, bringing his side back into the game as well.

Talking about Pasindu’s batting, Manjrekar said on the Sony Sports Network, “Sooriyabandara has a good technique with the head coming right on top of the ball. It reminded me of Virat Kohli as a young player when he would get his head right on top of the ball. Dinusha has everything going for him at the moment. He has tremendous skills against pace and spin, with an excellent temperament. He bats like he’s 50 Test matches old.”

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Sanjay Manjrekar also expressed his disappointment with Team India’s bowling performance in the first innings of the second Test as well. After reducing Sri Lanka to 35/3 early on the third day, the Indian bowlers did well to the challenging wicket as the Lankans finished the day on 265/8. India finally bowled Sri Lanka out for 290 and captured a 213-run first innings lead as well.

“I thought Sri Lanka would be bowled out on Day 3 for under 175 with the kind of promise shown by the Indian bowlers at the end of Day 2. But the two young Sri Lankan batters halted India. Sri Lanka have made it hard for India to dominate them throughout the series. Though India are still dominant, it has been slow domination. I thought India would have them all out for at least under 200 and make them bat again,” again said Manjrekar.

“The combination of Jadeja, Suthar and Saransh Jain weren’t as threatening as some of the spin trios India have had in the past, who would have maybe exploited this pitch a lot better. I thought Jadeja was the pick of all the bowlers. That India had to keep going to Prasidh Krishna shows that they weren’t quite able to attack with spin as much. India’s spin attack didn’t quite rise to the occasion like they normally do,” he concluded.