" We ca n't make mistakes against him tomorrow", says Prabath Jayasuriya
Your second Test at one of the most difficult environments on earth is usually not going to go well for you if you're a flour. Rachin Ravindra, though, is proving across platforms, that he's not your run-of-the-mill flour out of New Zealand.
His fourth-innings forefront, which by the close of day four has brought him 91 not out off 158, and pushed New Zealand into a position where they still have an outside chance of victory, has been full of braggadocio.
The offspinners of Sri Lanka attacked him outside of the box because they believed that as he liked to play outside, his shots would later yield an advantage. Although the pitch was spitting toward the finish of the day, Ravindra's shot-making was regular and frequent even when the edge not materialized, but there were plenty of runs in the arc between back point and cover. 40 of his runs came in this arc, with the rest of the day coming in at the end.
" I'll be honest, the pitch is n't effortless- but there were times that when Rachin made it look pretty quick," said Ajaz Patel, who partnered Ravindra through the last couple innings of the day.
" He's a remarkable player. I think he's world group. With his batting out there today, you saw him sticking to a good plan for longer periods, and trusting his knowledge. He's got an amazing potential in front of him. I'm glad he's on our team. He's a pain to dish to in first-class cricket. "
When Sri Lanka switched to bowling straight at him, Ravindra was no less professional through the legside. He was ruthless when the batsmen erred also somewhat on size, preferring the draw to the push as his primary run-scoring choice on the legside.
In reality, four of his nine toes, and his one six all came through midwicket, with the six coming off a whole toss.
Opposition left-arm spin Prabath Jayasuriya had significant praise for Ravindra also.
I primarily attempted to dish into him and make him feel good. He occasionally excelled at catching little balls.
" There was some little odds that came off him. But he kept his compassion and batted well. He dispersed the bad people and kept them at bay. He played with integrity and a sport schedule, as if he had understood his opponent. Often we tried to take his wicket and bowled violently, but he turned those into scoring options. "
Sri Lanka then need two more batsmen to win, while New Zealand have 68 for success. Ravindra has to score those plays in the company of No. 10 Patel, and No. 11 Did O'Rourke. If he gets through that problem, it may be the finest time of his career to date- in Checks, at least.
" We ca n't make mistakes against him tomorrow," Jayasuriya said. " We have to get those two innings. "
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