New Delhi. Chetan Chauhan, who has opened in many matches with the great Sunil Gavaskar in Test cricket, is remembered for a special reason. Remaining unbeaten twice in 68 innings of 40 Tests for India, Chetan scored 2084 runs with the help of 16 half-centuries but could not convert any of these half-centuries into a century. During this period, he fell prey to nervous nineties (score of 90+) twice while he was out on a score of more than 80 runs six times. He was considered a batsman who would get nervous on reaching close to a century and would lose his wicket in a hurry. In modern cricket, a batsman has also surpassed Chetan Chauhan’s ‘record’ in this matter. Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella has scored 22 more half-centuries than Chetan, but a century in Tests has remained a dream for him so far.
Dickwella has played 54 Tests and has scored 22 half-centuries in 96 innings, remaining unbeaten 7 times, but has not been able to score a single century. Like Chetan, Dickwella has also been out twice in the ‘nervous nineties’. He is the second highest batsman in the world in terms of scoring runs without scoring a century in Test cricket. Only Australia’s legendary leg-spinner (late) Shane Warne has scored more runs than Dickwella without a century. Warne, who played as a pure bowler, has 3154 runs (highest 99) in 145 Tests at an average of 17.32, which includes 12 half-centuries. Dickwella comes in second place while New Zealand’s fast bowler Tim Southee is in third place by scoring 2098 runs with the help of six half-centuries in 100 tests and Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc is in fourth place by scoring 2093 runs with the help of 10 half-centuries in 89 tests. Among these players, except Dickwella, all others are basically bowlers.
Has scored more than 2500 runs in Test cricket
31-year-old Dickwella has so far scored 2757 runs in 54 Tests at an average of 30.97. This left-handed cricketer has the image of an aggressive batsman. There is a general belief that Dickwella has not been able to score a century in Tests so far due to his overly aggressive attitude. In response to this, this Sri Lankan batsman once said, ‘The shots that I play and get out are the ones that help me score runs. Sometimes the problem is that I am not able to execute this shot well. I am focusing on this aspect of how to change gears in the innings and when to speed up and when to slow down the pace of scoring runs according to the situation.’
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He got three lives but was out on 96
In his Test career so far, Dickwella has been out once on a score of 96 and once on a score of 92. Before he was bowled by Kemar Roach on a score of 96 on the fourth day of the North Sound Test against West Indies in March 2021, Dickwella was getting a lot of luck. During the innings, his catch was missed at the gully, while once the umpire declared him not out despite the edge of the bat hitting Alzari Joseph’s ball going towards the leg side. Dickwella was on a score of 74 at that time. Not only this, when he was on a score of 95, one of Roach’s balls hit the helmet protector and hit the wicket, but Dickwella was saved as the bails did not fall. However, he could not take advantage of these three ‘lives’ and returned to the pavilion without scoring a century after being dismissed by Roach.
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Lost his wicket on 92 against England
Two months before getting out on 96 against West Indies, Dickwella had missed a century in the Galle Test against England and got out on 92 runs. Apart from this, Dickwella has also been out on a score of more than 80 runs twice in Tests.
Dickwella has scored two centuries in ODIs
Even though centuries are still out of Dickwella’s reach in Tests, he has two centuries to his name in ODIs. Dickwella, who made his international debut in 2014, has so far scored 1604 runs in 55 ODIs at an average of 31.45, which includes two centuries and 9 half-centuries. He has also scored 480 runs in 28 T20Is. Dickwella has been out of the Sri Lankan team since March 2023. In such a situation, his wait to fulfill his dream of scoring a century in Test cricket is increasing.
Tags: Sri Lanka Cricket Team, Test cricket
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 3, 2024, 07:59 IST