'Take me to the IPL' - Dickwella banters with Jaiswal before losing his wicket

Niroshan Dickwella fell on 12 off 17 in the first session of the final day, moments after bantering with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who goaded him to play the hook

Niroshan Dickwella lost his wicket to Prasidh Krishna moments after Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to goad him into a hook shot, strolling in from square leg to have some words with the batter.

The wicket, in Sri Lanka's chase of 372 in their first Test against India in Galle, was met with particular delight from the fielders. Jaiswal's team-mates, at least, thought Jaiswal had something to do with the dismissal. Although Jaiswal had played no direct role in claiming the wicket, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Rishabh Pant, among others, made it a point to congratulate Jaiswal in the huddle for the role he played.

Dickwella was dismissed for 12 off 17, with Sri Lanka still needing to bat out more than two sessions to salvage a draw on day five. They failed, being dismissed 165 runs short soon after the lunch break.RelatedRahul impressed by Padikkal's tone-setting ton, Suthar's subtle variations

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The banter itself was good natured. Two balls before the dismissal, in the 60th over of Sri Lanka's innings, Jaiswal had been trying to get Dickwella to hook the short balls that Prasidh was bowling at him.

Midway through that over, Jaiswal walked over to Dickwella to suggest he had played with unusual restraint for his 80 in the first innings, which took two hours and 40 minutes.

"There wasn't a lot of shots in the first innings. I need to see something," began Jaiswal.

Dickwella initially responded with an "okay" before Jaiswal pointed to the Galle Municipality Stand and told him: "Hit him there, I need to see something."

"No, I'm not Jaiswal," Dickwella responded, suggesting the hook was not a shot he usually played. But then Dickwella kept the conversation going by quipping that he would do it "if you take me to IPL". To this Jaiswal said, "I will 100% take you."

Dickwella cut the next ball from Prasidh to deep point for two before the exchange continued. "If you hit him there [into the stand], I will definitely tell Sanga." Kumar Sangakkara is head coach and director of cricket for Rajasthan Royals, the IPL franchise Jaiswal plays for.

Ironically, Dickwella and Sangakkara have a relationship themselves. Not only did Sangakkara play in the Sri Lanka Test side with Dickwella at the tail end of his career, the two are products of the same school: Trinity College, Kandy.His India team-mates believed Yashasvi Jaiswal had a big role to play in Dickwella's dismissal•Getty Images

Dickwella didn't try to hook Prasidh, despite the quick bowler sending down short-pitched balls almost exclusively in that over. Dickwella did try to cut one that was very close to his body, but as he backed away to the leg side, he produced an edge that Rishabh Pant snaffled.

Essentially, Dickwella was trying to repeat the shot that had brought him two runs the previous delivery.

The India players' reactions, however, suggested they felt the chatter from Jaiswal had helped draw the mistake from Dickwella. That wicket exposed Sri Lanka's tail, with offspinner Keshara Nuwantha having to come out to bat shortly before lunch.

This is not the first time Dickwella - one of Sri Lanka's chattiest cricketers - has been in exchanges with India players. In 2017, when Sri Lanka were trying to save a Test in Kolkata, he held extended conversations with the opposition in the middle, some of it much less good-natured than this conversation in Galle.

On that occasion, one of Dickwella's Sri Lanka team-mates had asked him to tone his chatter down. But Dickwella had responded: "Don't worry, I'm helping them waste their own time."