His 104 not out off just 114 balls also came after Sri Lanka’s top order set them on course for a big total. But regardless, Samarawickrama did as could have been hoped. He said it was the mental side of his game that needed working on, following his first foray in Test cricket.
“I learned a lot from being dropped,” he said after the second day. “I was about 22 when I played three Tests against India, and they are the best team in the world. I wasn’t able to do much in those matches, but I did learn from them. And what I learned there I brought here. I learned a lot about what’s required at the top level. I tried to work on those things in the domestic competitions.
“I worked very hard on my batting. I batted in a lot of different spots in domestic cricket, the A team, and in provincial cricket. I think the biggest change is mental. I worked really hard on what I need to be doing and what I need to be thinking, and how to handle various situations.”
Coming in at No. 8 is an unusual batting position for Samarawickrama, who usually plays in the top order even when he is the wicketkeeper, but was slated to come in at No. 7 against Ireland.
“This is the first time I was [to be] batting No. 7. Although I’d batted in many other spots, I hadn’t batted in this position. Because we sent a nightwatchman out, I slipped down one more place – to No. 8. There was a bit of nervousness. But because I was positive in the middle, that went away quickly. Because I’d planned on how I’d build my innings, it became easier for me.”
“I’ve batted a lot with Chandi aiya in various teams,” Samarawickrama said. “The wicket was a little tougher to bat on today than yesterday because it had got older. I tried to bat positively and hit the loose balls, because I knew we’d be declaring today. I have to think about the team as well as my milestone. I tried to get those runs quickly and get the team to a stable place.
“Ireland had been in the field a lot and what we talked about was to wait for the loose balls, and how to make the best use of that. Because we were positive, we were able to attack the bad ones. We got a lot of runs that way.”