Ready to face Ashwin, Jadeja: Karunaratne

Kolkata, November 12
Sri Lanka’s left-handed opener Dimuth Karunaratne is willing to adapt to the situation in an attempt to counter spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the three-match Test series against India.
“I know Jadeja and Ashwin are both hungry for wickets. Every time they bowl it’s about sticking to the basics,” Karunaratne said. “If I don’t give them any chance, they will try to do something extra. If we have to force them to change the field, we have to do something extra. That’s my gameplan… I wait for the loose ones and I will stick to that. If it does not work I will think differently and put some extra pressure on the bowlers.”
Karunaratne, who made a career-best 196 against Pakistan in Dubai last month, said his knock of 141 against India in the second innings of the second Test in August was a confidence-booster. “That hundred helped me a lot to take confidence against Pakistan. It was not easy wicket to bat in the second innings,” said the 29-year-old.
“I was determined to get some runs, especially against Ashwin. I was thinking to play the first five overs without big shots. I played a lot of sweeps and reverse sweeps and they had to change the field. That’s my style, to play in my comfort zone.”
Left-arm mystery
The Board President’s XI did not include a left-arm spinner, while India may play the Tests with two left-arm spinners, Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. “They didn’t give us left-arm spinners. I know they will definitely play with Jadeja, and maybe Kuldeep to go alongside Ashwin,” Karunaratne said.
Hathurusinghe as coach?
Karunaratne said it would be good for the team if Chandika Hathurusinghe took over as the head coach, even as speculation rages after Hathurusinghe stepped down as the Bangladesh coach.