Sunday was “a very emotional day” for Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne, who revealed that his 100th and final Test match ended in a loss to Australia.
Before midday on the fourth day in Galle, Australia completed a series sweep and a nine-wicket victory, with the honour of bowling the final few balls going to the seasoned opening batsman Karunaratne.
“It has been a long career—after my family and friends, I was spending most time with my teammates,” he stated.
“I am leaving them, but this team will be always in my heart.”
For over ten years, the 36-year-old former captain was a pillar at the top of the Sri Lankan order, yet he had failed to score a century in 25 innings.
He had declared before the second Test in Galle that it would be his final five-day match.
“When I started my cricket, I just wanted to play one Test match.
“It was incredible to play 100 Test matches. It has been an honour to play cricket for so long,” remarked the player
Karunaratne, who was well-known for his calm and friendly demeanour, also demonstrated astute leadership.
In 2019, he took over as captain during a difficult period and guided Sri Lanka to a historic series victory in South Africa.
Sri Lanka is still the only Asian team to defeat the Proteas in their home country.
In 2023, Karunaratne stepped down as captain, stating that it was time for younger players to take the reins.
He claimed that he had “lots of happy memories” from his playing career and that he now wanted to teach and spend more time with his people.
He declared on Sunday, “I intend to take up coaching. I want to get certified. I’ll begin coaching here or abroad.”
