COLOMBO: Sri Lanka staged one of their finest modern Test match fightbacks, rallying from a massive first-innings deficit to hold India to a draw on the final day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC). Forced to follow on after falling 213 runs behind, the hosts’ lower order produced a marathon batting effort to finish on 429/9 in 154 overs, securing a memorable escape. While India won the two-match series 1–0 following their 165-run victory in Galle, Sri Lanka’s stubborn second-innings resistance denied the visitors a clean sweep.
India dominated the early exchanges after winning the toss and opting to bat, posting a formidable first-innings total of 503/9 declared built on fluent centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (unbeaten 115), alongside a brisk 63 from Rishabh Pant. In response, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 290 despite a brilliant 103 from left-hander Sonal Dinusha. With a commanding 213-run cushion, Indian captain Shubman Gill enforced the follow-on, putting the hosts under immense pressure.
Faced with a daunting task, Sri Lanka suffered an early setback before Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis launched a spirited counter-attack. Sooriyabandara (92) and Mendis (55) combined for a century stand to steady the innings before Sooriyabandara fell just short of a deserving hundred. Sonal Dinusha then stepped up to deliver a defining performance for the lower order. Building on his first-innings hundred, the 25-year-old left-hander anchored the tail with exceptional discipline.
Dinusha compiled an unbeaten 133 off 264 deliveries, guiding Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark alongside crucial lower-order partnerships with Keshara Nuwantha (46) and Lahiru Kumara (12). The tailenders’ defiance forced the Indian spin attack—led by Ravindra Jadeja (3/94) and Manav Suthar (3/121)—to toil relentlessly on a flat SSC pitch. Establishing a 216-run lead—their highest-ever overall lead after being forced to follow on in Test history—Sri Lanka batted out the day to force the draw. Dinusha’s sensational series tally of 409 runs earned him Player of the Match honors, capping off a heroic survival for the hosts.
