IND vs SL: The Colombo Test ended in a draw. Sri Lanka declared their second innings at 429/9 and the players from both teams shook hands, ending the match. On the fourth day, India’s victory seemed almost certain, but the situation changed completely on the fifth day. Sonal Dinusha’s century snatched victory from Team India’s jaws. The fifth day of the match was nothing short of miraculous.
Sonal scored centuries in both innings for Sri Lanka. It was his centuries that saved Sri Lanka’s honour. Coming in at number 7 in the first innings, Dinusha scored 103 runs with the help of 8 fours and 3 sixes. Then, in the second innings, he again performed brilliantly. Batting at number 6, Dinusha played an unbeaten innings of 133 runs, which included 8 fours and 2 sixes.
Follow-on proved costly for Team India
In this match, India scored 503 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the first innings, had Sri Lanka all out for 290 runs in their first innings and forced them to follow on. After this, the Sri Lankan batsmen displayed tremendous spirit and scored 429 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the next innings, ultimately forcing the match to end in a draw.
Sonal Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha kept Sri Lanka at bay by neutralizing the Indian bowling attack in the first session. Dinusha and Nuwantha shared a 112-run partnership for the seventh wicket. The duo faced 242 balls. Consequently, India’s attempts to dismiss Sri Lanka quickly were repeatedly thwarted. Sonal also reached her third Test fifty in the first session.
Sri Lanka did a miracle on the fifth day
India got a wicket in the very first over of the second session. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar dismissed Kesara Nuwantha. He scored 46 runs and faced 150 balls. Prabhat Jayasuriya, who came in next, scored 2 runs off 28 balls. His wicket fell to Ravindra Jadeja. The pair of Soni and Jayasuriya lasted 71 balls and added 25 runs.
Sonal Dinusha, who had been performing brilliantly throughout the series, did not stop even in the third and final session and completed his second century of the match. He was well supported by Lahiru Kumara who came to bat after Sri Lanka had lost 8 wickets. Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar took 3 wickets each for India in the second innings.
Brief scores: India 503/9 decl (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132) drew with Sri Lanka 290 (Sonal Dinusha 103, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh Krishna 3-52, Manav Suthar 3-85) & 429/9 f/o (Sonal Dinusha 133*, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3-94, Manav Suthar 3-121)
Player of the match: Sonal Dinusha
Player of the series: Devdutt Padikkal
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