The Day 5 of Sri Lanka and India’s second Test in Colombo began with Sri Lanka starting with a 16 runs lead from the previous day while chasing a huge score of 503/9. Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 290 in their first innings and India had a huge advantage with the bat which they could have tried to turn into a series-clinching win. However, the hosts did not fall apart in the follow-on as they batted into the fifth afternoon and India lost the opportunity to get crucial wickets to get a result they had hoped.
The breakthrough finally came when Ravindra Jadeja bowled Lahiru Kumara after a lengthy period of resistance. Jadeja got the ball to turn into the right-hander, trapping him in his crease. Yashasvi Jaiswal was waiting on the leg-side and pulled off a stunning catch to his right at short-leg. Kumara had scored 12 of his 90 balls faced before his wicket fell. However, India did not have much more time left as the Sri Lankan batters extended their stay and the game ended in a draw. After scoring a huge total in the first innings and an innings win in the first Test, India could not have expected a more anti-climactic end to the series as Sri Lanka batted with all they had and took the game from a humiliating loss for the hosts’ to a draw.
Sonal Dinusha’s gritty century saves Sri Lanka as India settle for draw, win series against Sri Lanka with 1-0
Sri Lankan batsman Sonal Dinusha came up with a determined century as Sri Lanka fought their way to a draw against India in the second Test in Colombo. The hosts, having been asked to follow on after being bowled out for 290 in their first innings, were staring at a difficult task. India had already piled up 503/9 when they declared, leaving Sri Lanka with a huge deficit to overcome. But instead of folding, Sri Lanka dug in, with Dinusha leading the resistance on the final day.
The Sri Lankan batter remained unbeaten for more than four hours, finishing not out on 133 off 264 balls as Sri Lanka reached 429/9 in 154 overs leading to no result for either teams. He found valuable support from Keshara Nuwantha, who made 46. Later, Lahiru Kumara contributed with just 12 runs but faced 90 balls, crushing India’s resilience and together they frustrated an Indian attack that had been searching desperately for the final wicket. The draw ended India’s hopes of completing a 2-0 sweep, but they still secured the series 1-0 following their convincing 165-run win in the first Test at Galle. The result also made history, as India became the first team to enforce a follow-on against Sri Lanka in a Test without going on to win the match. For Sri Lanka, Dinusha’s marathon knock was a memorable bright spot in an otherwise challenging series.
