ABU DHABI, Saturday – Sri Lanka’s wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella described the hot weather conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi as “playing inside an oven” and said in the circumstances skipper Dinesh Chandimal’s knock of 155 not out was a commendable effort.
“The climate is different and it’s so hot it’s like playing in an oven,” said Dickwella at the end of the third day of the first Test here on Saturday. “It is seaming hot in the middle and the wicket is different. I have played on these types of wickets but the humidity and climate is difficult to play.
“In the dressing room we don’t talk about the negative things we only talk positive. We can’t control these conditions. Chandi played well in the middle he faced more than 300 balls - a difficult task in a hot seaming conditions like this,” he said.
For his part Dickwella played a rather matured innings of 83 helping his captain add 134 for the fifth wicket and admitted that he was spoken to by the team management and selection committee prior to the series about his responsibilities to the team.
“The way I played against India I couldn’t capitalise on my scores. I got good starts but I couldn’t go for big scores. All the coaches and supporting staff even the selection committee spoke to me and they told me what they are expecting from me,” said Dickwella.
“They want me to get more runs and be stable at the wicket and bat with the tailenders, that’s the normal wicket-keeper’s job in a Test match. I realised it and did the job yesterday (Friday). Disappointing not to get a hundred, an inside edge bowled me unfortunate to get out like that,” he said.
However, Dickwella, an aggressive batter stated that he would not change his approach to the game. “I am playing for my strengths I am not going to do anything different. I will back my strength I have to be brave and take the calculated risk at the right time and play my normal game. That’s how I have being playing all these years.”
Dickwella said that if Sri Lanka is to push for a win tomorrow’s (Sunday) first session is going to be crucial. “How you approach tomorrow’s morning session will decide the game. If we can take quick wickets and attack the batsman and put them under pressure we have a good chance get a lead of about 100-120 and put them back again on the fifth day.”