Mohammad Kaif Criticises India for Overlooking Sonal Dinusha’s Full‑Ball Weakness

Sonal Dinusha produced a strong performance in the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo, which ended in a draw from 23 to 27 August 2026. The left‑handed batter faced 426 balls across both innings, scoring 103 in the first innings and an unbeaten 133 in the second. Dinusha’s innings helped Sri Lanka post 290 in their first innings and 429 for nine declared in their second, while India reached 503 for nine declared.

Mohammad Kaif, a former India batter, criticised the Indian bowling unit and coaching staff for failing to identify Dinusha’s weakness despite the resources available. He emphasised that every batter has a shortcoming that should be uncovered through thorough planning and discussion among support personnel.

“Every batter has a shortcoming somewhere. You need to find where the shortcoming is. I am not talking about Gill,” Kaif said on Sony Sports Network.

“I am talking about the entire bowling unit and even the coaching staff. Everyone sits together and discusses that he scored a hundred in Galle, and where we can trap him when he comes now. Tactically, I agree that they attacked less, the field was opened up yesterday, and the drive ball wasn’t bowled,” he added.

Dinusha’s Strong Performance in the Second Test

Dinusha finished the two‑Test series with 420 runs at an average of 140, showcasing his dominant form throughout the matches. The left‑hander’s ability to score heavily through sweeps became a hallmark of his batting, and his unbeaten 133 in the second Test highlighted his capacity to build substantial innings on difficult pitches.

Kaif pointed to specific moments where India’s bowlers could have exploited Dinusha’s vulnerability. He noted that Saransh Jain dismissed Dinusha with a full ball after his hundred, and Mohammed Siraj also delivered a full ball that Dinusha left because of his reluctance to play the drive. Kaif felt the team failed to capitalise on this pattern.

Kaif’s Criticism of India’s Tactical Approach

Kaif argued that India’s support structure should have identified and acted upon Dinusha’s weakness against the full ball. He stressed that with multiple analysts, statisticians and coaches at their disposal, the team should have devised a clear plan to exploit this flaw.

“Saransh Jain had dismissed him with that after his hundred. Mohammed Siraj had bowled a full ball, and he left it because he doesn’t like playing the drive. He doesn’t like playing shots there,” Kaif said.

“You are talking about India. It’s not a club match that you got late. A video analyst is sitting, a stats person is sitting, and six or seven coaches are sitting,” he added.

Experience Gap Among India’s Young Bowlers

Kaif also recognised the difficulty India’s young bowlers face when dealing with fifth‑day Test conditions. He explained that modern young bowlers rarely encounter such pitches because Test matches do not often extend to the fifth day, leaving them with limited experience in adapting their tactics. Kaif noted that the Indian team had not faced Dinusha in the series prior to this match, which further complicated their preparation.

“Our modern young bowlers play very rarely on such a pitch. They don’t play on the fifth day. A Test match doesn’t go that long. So they also don’t know how to tackle it, and we have not seen this batter. Assuming you get Joe Root, Ravindra Jadeja has bowled against him, so you can plan,” Kaif said.

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