New Delhi. Chetan Chauhan, who has opened in many matches with the great Sunil Gavaskar in Test cricket, is remembered for a special reason. While 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, twice he became a victim of nervous nineties (score of 90+) while six times he was out on a score of more than 80 runs. He was considered to be a batsman who would get nervous as he approached his century and would lose wickets in a hurry. In modern cricket, a batsman has left behind 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 till now.
Dickwella has played 54 Tests and has scored 22 half-centuries while remaining unbeaten 7 times in 96 innings but has not been able to score even a single century. Like Chetan, Dickwella has also been out twice in the ‘Nervous Nineties’. He is the second batsman in the world in terms of scoring runs without scoring a century in Test cricket. 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 in 89 tests with the help of 10 half-centuries. Among these players, except Dickwella, all others are basically bowlers.
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. The image of this left-handed cricketer is that of an aggressive batsman. There is a general belief that Dickwella has not been able to score a century in Tests due to adopting an overly aggressive attitude. In response to this, this Sri Lankan batsman had once said, ‘The shots that I play and get out are what help me in scoring runs. Let’s help. Sometimes the problem is that I am not able to execute the shot well. I am focusing on this aspect of how to change gears in the innings and when to speed up the pace of scoring runs and when to slow down as per the situation.
Got three ‘lives’ but were out at 96
In the Test journey so far, Dickwella has been out once on the score of 96 and once on 92. Dickwella was getting a lot of luck before he was bowled by Kemar Roach at the score of 96 on the fourth day of the North Sound Test against West Indies in March 2021. During the innings, he was caught at gully, while once the umpire declared him not out despite the ball hitting the edge of the bat going towards the leg side of Alzarri Joseph. Dickwella was on the score of 74 at that time. Not only this, when he was on the 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 ‘jeevan daans’ and returned to the pavilion without scoring a century after being out on the ball of Roach.
Wicket was lost at 92 against England
Two months before being out on 96 against West Indies, Dickwella had also missed a century in the Galle Test against England and was out on 92 runs. Apart from this, Dickwella has also been out twice in Tests with a score of more than 80.
Dickwella has scored two centuries in ODI
Even though a century in Tests is still out of Dickwella’s reach, he has two hundreds in 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 is 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.