Gary Kirsten has come a long way. From being the Indian coach under whom M.S. Dhoni’s men won the 2011 World Cup at Sri Lanka’s expense, to now being the guiding force for the men from the Emerald Isle, Kirsten has traversed diverse paths. Sri Lanka’s coach drew heart from the manner in which his wards stretched the first Test.

“From being 90 for five on the third day and to take the Test into the fifth day was pleasing. There was a bit of fight and we were keen to stay in the Test. I was pleased with the attitude of the team but the way we batted, especially our top order, that probably cost us the match,” summed up Kirsten while talking to the media on Wednesday.

From the rival corner, Kirsten praised Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar: “Padikkal played one of the better Test match innings that I have seen. He did not play too aggressively, just played within himself and batted for a long period and it was a good lesson for other batters. Manav has fantastic talent and he is a great spinner in Tests.” Kirsten also termed the pitch as a ‘good one’.

Published - August 19, 2026 04:07 pm IST