Shubman Gill has the potential to be a very good captain: Roy Dias
Former Sri Lankan cricketer Roy Dias’ knocks of 60 and 97 on a turning track against India in the 1982 Chepauk Test continue to be remembered. He also played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s historic first home Test series win over India in 1985-86.
One of the pillars of Sri Lankan batting during the 1980s, Dias was a joy to watch at the crease, blessed with a wonderful sense of timing and an elegant stroke-making ability. Now 73, he remains involved with Sri Lanka Cricket’s talent scouting programme at the Under-15 level. After retiring from international cricket, Dias also had coaching stints with Sri Lanka and Nepal.
After a few exchanges over the phone, Dias agreed to meet this correspondent at his home in Malabe, on the outskirts of Colombo. An absolute gentleman, he even drove me from the Sinhalese Sports Club to his residence. Over the next half an hour, our conversation covered Sri Lankan cricket, his playing days, the influence of Sir Gary Sobers, his memorable knock against India in the Chennai Test, his views on Shubman Gill’s leadership potential, Rishabh Pant’s distinctive playing style and much more. Here are the excerpts:
You first saw Shubman Gill when Sri Lanka A toured India. Can you tell us about the first time you saw him bat?
Roy Dias: It was an unofficial Test match involving the A teams, and we opened the batting. When I saw him, I really enjoyed watching him because everything was so good — his stance, defence, drives, everything. I really enjoyed watching him, and I knew that one day, very soon, he would reach the top. That has now been proved. He is the captain of the Indian side. It is amazing because you can easily judge a great player. He is really, really good. For me, he also looks like a very calm character. He doesn’t get excited and he isn’t arrogant. That is very important for a captain because you need your team to stay together. I think he will be a very good captain, like all the other great captains India has had. I wish him all the very best. I think he will be there for the next 10-15 years.
Talking about Rishabh Pant, what did you make of his 66 off 69 balls in the second innings of the Galle Test?
Roy Dias: That is his style. I don’t think he should change his style. He just needs a little more patience because he can go after almost any ball. You also had another wicketkeeper, Ishan Kishan. If you are a natural player, you shouldn’t change your style. It is just about the mental approach. Take Sanath Jayasuriya, one of our heroes. He was an amazing player, but his style was different. If he had changed his style, I don’t think he would have reached that level. I remember that once, one of the foreign coaches wanted Sanath to hit more on the top side. But Sanath was not that kind of player. When I was coaching alongside Arjuna, Sanath wasn’t trying to do it. Arjuna told him, “Just forget it. Even in a Test match, if the first ball you face is outside off stump and you can hit it over extra cover for six, do it.”
Having watched both teams in the first Test in Galle, what do you think was the difference between them?
Roy Dias: I think the way we batted; we were in a hurry to score, and our guys couldn’t really get going. Maybe they were thinking more about limited-overs cricket than Test cricket. In Test cricket, you have to play session by session, or even from one water break to the next. This is what I was taught. When you go out to bat, just think about reaching the first water break. Then think about the next water break. After that, you have lunch. That is how I think we should approach Test cricket — session by session — and just enjoy it.
Post Sangakkara and Mahela, Sri Lanka hasn’t produced many batters who have been able to take on the world. What do you think is the reason?
Roy Dias: I think we have some good, talented players, no doubt about it. It is just that we are playing less Test cricket nowadays. I know Angelo Mathews retired from Test cricket because he said there was only one Test match scheduled for the year. For a Test player, I think you need at least six to 10 Test matches to keep progressing. That is how you improve your temperament and stay in form. But now there is more T20 cricket. In T20 cricket, you cannot play six dot balls or bowl a maiden. You have to play shots, even when the ball may not be there to hit. I feel Test cricket, one-day cricket and T20 cricket should be treated differently. In Test cricket, a fast bowler can bowl 10-15 overs a day. In T20 cricket, he only gets four overs. Even for fast bowlers, four overs are not enough to really do their thing. For me, Test cricket and one-day cricket are very important.
Would you rate your knock against India in the Chennai Test as one of your best innings?
Roy Dias: One of the best knocks, I would say. We were new to Test cricket, and when I got out for 97, I was disappointed. It was just before the tea break, so I came back to the dressing room. One of my colleagues then told me, “Roy, Gavaskar wants to speak to you.” I went up to him, and he shook hands with me and said, “Roy, that’s one of the best innings I have seen.” For me, that was more than a hundred. I will never forget that. To have a master like Gavaskar come up to me and say that was amazing. It is one of the moments I have really cherished. As I said, hearing that from the master himself was more than a hundred for me.
What was the secret behind playing so well against the turning ball?
Roy Dias: When I was a young kid, one of my coaches told me if I want to play spin, there are only two shots. Either you stop the ball and play defensively, so you can almost kiss the ball, or you play a positive shot. Don’t go nudging the ball here and there because that is where you give the bowler a chance. I feel that if you have a good defence on any track, the most important thing is to watch the ball and play it late. That is what I did. I must also mention that when we started playing Test cricket, the legendary Sir Gary Sobers was coaching us. He taught me a few things about batting against spin which helped me immensely.
Q: Who would be your top five Sri Lankan batters in Test cricket?
It is going to be difficult, no doubt about it. I don’t want to commit myself to a top five. During our time, I would rate Aravinda de Silva very highly. There were also quite a few other great batters — Sidath Wettimuny, Ranjan Madugalle, Arjuna Ranatunga, Asanka Gurusinha and Roshan Mahanama. That is why we won the World Cup. Just imagine Aravinda batting at No. 3, then Arjuna, and later Asanka and Roshan. We had a great batting line-up, and they knew what they had to do. That is what I think young players should understand: “What is my job?”
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