Indian captain Virat Kohli has applauded the character of Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who admitted to time-wasting tactics in the drawn first Test in Kolkata. The 24-year-old Sri Lankan got into a few altercations with Kohli and the Indian players and admitted that his antics were in a bid to get under the skin of the Indian players.
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“I like to see that character. I liked that competitiveness on the field. He is someone who takes lot of pride in his cricket. I am impressed with what I have seen so far of him from the last series as well. He has got great ability to do something very special for Sri Lankan cricket,” Kohli told journalists ahead of the second Test match in Nagpur.
Having set Sri Lanka an improbable target of 231 runs in 47 overs, India fancied their chances when Sri Lanka were 22 for four in the final session. In fading light, time was a crucial factor and Dickwella consumed quite a bit of time with his antics forcing the umpires to intervene.
Kohli went on to say that even he would have adopted similar tactics in order to win and that the players had moved on after the incident.
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“In the heat of things, I will do anything for my team to win. Afterwards, everything was normal. We had a chat on the flight as well. Those things end on the field. When you are competitive as an opponent we always respect that about any opponent. He is a very feisty character and that works for his game. Credit for him for maintaining that and I am sure he will do many good things for Sri Lankan cricket,” Kohli went on to add.
Dickwella’s frolics earned praise from former greats as well although the team management was a bit nervous as he needs just one demerit point to receive a four-match suspension. Earlier this year during the tour of Australia he was suspended for a T20 International for showing dissent.
Captain Dinesh Chandimal, who was the non-striker when the incident unfolded in Eden Gardens, told Cricbuzz earlier that he didn’t want to intervene as Dickwella was doing nothing wrong.
India were three wickets away from a famous win as Sri Lanka slumped to 75 for seven. Dickwella top scored with 27 runs, but more importantly consumed quite a bit of time. His antics perhaps saved the day for Sri Lanka. “I guess they lost about two or three overs,” Dickwella told Cricbuzz on Wednesday.
