As Sri Lanka hurtled towards a Test and series defeat against India at the SSC Ground, Roy Dias’ mind travelled back to distant 1985 when the island nation humbled its big brother for its maiden Test victory.
Sri Lanka defeated India by 149 runs at the P. Saravanamuthu Oval 41 years ago with Dias playing a big hand, scoring 95 and an unbeaten 60.
The day still brings a smile to Dias’ face.
“It was a great victory for us, as it was the first win in Sri Lanka’s Test history, and it stood as an inspiration for all of us. We keep talking about it even now whenever we meet,” Dias, who now oversees Sri Lanka Cricket’s junior talent scout wing, told PTI.
“It was all the more incredible because it came against a full-strength Indian team, which was also the (ODI) world champion back then,” he added.
One of the most stylish batters of his era, Dias rued that he could not get a hundred during that momentous match but took solace from the team’s victory.
“Before the series, all the talk was about Kapil Dev, as he was always a fantastic bowler. He had always kept it tight, and usually I played it very close and watchfully. But I could not get a hundred (out for 95 in the first innings), and it was not a rash shot.
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“Chetan (Sharma) was also a very nice bowler, and I generally play my drive well, but this time my drive off him was caught by the wicketkeeper (Sadanand Viswanath).
“But in the second innings, I got an unbeaten 60. You know, especially against India, I have got a couple of 90s. I got out for 97 against India at Chepauk in the 1982 drawn Test.
“But the 1985 series was great, a memorable one for all of us. It gave our cricket a foundation. Many of us were in tears when the series ended.” The 73-year-old hoped to see the current generation carry forward the Lankan cricket’s rich legacy.
Dias hopes Dhananjaya de Silva will be able to guide the newest batch of Sri Lankan cricketers.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Dias hopes Dhananjaya de Silva will be able to guide the newest batch of Sri Lankan cricketers.
| Photo Credit:
AP
“Dhananjaya de Silva is a good and experienced player. Hopefully, he will guide this new bunch of cricketers. Many of them are very young players, and they will get better once they play more Test matches.
“There is no shortage of talent in Sri Lanka. It’s all about giving them the right direction, and hopefully, they will carry forward the good work of the previous generation,” he said.
Talking about the bygone generation, Dias shared his thoughts on Duleep Mendis, who led Sri Lanka in that 1985 series.
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“Duleep was a very good and strong captain. He made sure that the team members stayed together, especially on foreign tours. He was a very determined batter too.
“We were very close back then, and have remained friends after all these years. It was his birthday on Tuesday, and we spoke at length, and, of course, we also spoke about that (1985) series.” Dias also offered his thoughts on Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravind de Silva, who were in the early years of their respective careers.
“Arjuna was a very big-hearted and calm batter who put a lot of price on his wicket. He was a clever captain too, who led us to the (1996 ODI) World Cup. But I must say that Aravinda was a class apart. He was very stylish and a brave batter.
“I can say that there was no better batter than Aravinda when he was at his peak, and he got runs in every country, and many times he got runs under pressure situations too, like the World Cup semifinal (at Kolkata),” he noted.
Meetings with Dravid
Dias fondly recalled his meetings with former India skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid during the 1982 tour.
“During our visit to Bangalore, a mutual friend took me and Bandula Warnapura (former SL captain) to his friend’s home. Rahul, then some 10- or 11-year-old, was staying close by, and he came to take our autographs and also posed for a photograph with him standing behind me.
The second rendezvous came two decades later at the erstwhile National Cricket Academy while Dias was coaching a Nepal junior side.
“Later, when I was coaching Nepal, we had a camp at the NCA in the early 2000s. The Nepal boys wanted to meet Dravid, and I requested him to spend some time with those budding cricketers, and he readily obliged.” But by then Dravid had developed into one of the most accomplished batters, but Dias remembered that he did not have any air about him.
“Then there was a group photo, and I stood behind him. He told me to stand next to him. But I told him: ‘It may have been a great thing for you, Rahul, at that time (taking Dias’ autograph), but today I do not mind standing behind you and posing for a photograph. Back in 1982, you took my autograph, and now I don’t mind taking yours.’”
Published on Aug 26, 2026
