SL vs NZ 2024: Sanath Jayasuriya discusses reason Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis changed batting positions

At the first Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle, veteran hitter Dinesh Chandimal has been moved up to bat at No. Jayasuriya was cited as adding, “We have to take care of him and give him that confidence.”  3. Kusal Mendis, who rose to prominence in the role during the past few years, is now ranked No. 7. In his explanation of the decision, acting head coach Sanath Jayasuriya stated that Chandimal will now be responsible for more of the batting at three position and will no longer be keeping in Test cricket.

He stated that the management of the squad did not want Chandimal to bat at a crucial juncture after holding the wicket for extended periods of time. Mendis has been instructed to bat lower in the order since he has been trusted with the keeper’s duty. The intention, according to Jayasuriya, is to allow the keeper plenty of time to recover before batting sessions. He also thinks that this works well for their batting lineup.

The choice to not keep Chandimal rests with the team. We had to decide who would bat third because it’s extremely difficult for a batsman ranked third to hold wickets. As the team’s and the nation’s third batsman, Chandimal has accepted responsibility for the position.

We spent a lot of time discussing our approach because this is a difficult choice. We conversed with Chandimal. We had to move someone else into the middle order in order to move him up. In terms of balance, it’s better for this team if we can move a wicketkeeper down to the lower middle order,” he said.

We can only play two quicks’ – Sanath Jayasuriya on Milan Rathnayake’s exclusion

Milan Rathnayake, a pacer for Sri Lanka who has performed brilliantly in the three-match series against England, has been left out of the starting lineup for the match against New Zealand. In his explanation, Jayasuriya stated that the squad can only afford to play two seamers and that he has personally met with Milan to explain his absence.

Also Read: NZ vs SL 2024: Sri Lanka announce playing XI for first Test

Milan has to be specifically mentioned because his first tour achievements deserve recognition. He was a cricket player of maturity. We are unable to include Milan in our XI, unfortunately. Two quicks is all we have to play. Everyone is familiar with the Galle pitch. Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara, our two best quicks, have already taken those positions. However, Milan leaves the team without having committed any errors. Jayasuriya stated, “I’ve personally spoken to him and convinced him that these are the reasons, so that he knows for sure.