Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath's previous highest score in Test cricket was an unbeaten 33. He progressed way beyond this mark during his fluent 80 not out here on Tuesday.
With 11 half centuries, Herath has a fair record with the willow in first class cricket. The spunky cricketer took flight with the bat when Sri Lanka needed hefty contributions from the tailenders to take the total beyond 500.
Herath said later, “I am happy with the way I batted. This is my highest score in the first class cricket. I did not think of 100. I just wanted to go there and score some runs. (Muttiah) Muralitharan told me that he could stay with me if I could get a hundred. Hundred or not, the innings gave me a lot of satisfaction.”
On his entertaining partnership with Lasith Malinga, Herath said, “Malinga and I did not play with any specific plan. We just wanted to get runs. Batting was not easy. There was bounce and turn for the bowlers.”
He added, “We are on top now. We will try to get two or three early wickets on Wednesday and could prevent India from getting past the follow-on mark.”
He expected a result in the first Test. “Sehwag is the dangerman. If we can get him out early tomorrow, we can dictate proceedings.”
Herath was all praise for Muralitharan's bowling. “I think Murali bowled really well today. He got Sachin out, which was great for us.”
Debutant Abhimanyu Mithun, who picked up four wickets in the Sri Lankan first innings, said, “We have good batting depth. The lower order can contribute. So we will bat as much as we can in every session. We should bat as a team rather than seek individual glory.”
He said, “The pitch assisted the bowlers in the first session today.
It continued to do a bit after lunch, but there was not much in terms of bounce. We tried to bowl up to the batsmen.”
Mithun was pleased with his display with the ball. “It was good that I got an early chance to play in Test cricket. I was particularly happy when I got my first wicket.”
The fast bowler revealed that in order to have a successful international career, it was important for him to know his strengths, perfect his training methods and to “build confidence”.
