Colombo, Aug 2026 : India captain Shubman Gill said his team had given everything on the field and had no regrets over the tactical decisions taken during the second and final Test against Sri Lanka, after the hosts produced a remarkable rearguard effort to secure a hard-fought draw at the SSC Ground on Thursday.
India entered the final stages of the Test needing just four wickets and a relatively modest chase to complete a 2-0 series sweep. However, their hopes were shattered by a magnificent unbeaten 133 from Sonal Dinusha, who batted with extraordinary patience and determination to frustrate the Indian attack on a slow and increasingly unresponsive fifth-day surface.
The draw meant India finished the two-Test series with a 1-0 victory.
Speaking after the match, Gill defended his decision-making and praised Sri Lanka for the manner in which they resisted the pressure.
“Honestly, nothing could have been done differently. You field for so many overs over three days; we did everything we could, but they played really well. Their batters showed a lot of skill and had a little bit of luck as well,” Gill said.
Asked specifically about enforcing the follow-on, Gill said such decisions had to be assessed in the circumstances in which they were made rather than through hindsight.
“In hindsight you can think about the follow-on, but you can only talk about these things in hindsight. You take the best decision you can in the moment, and something doesn't go your way,” he said.
Despite missing out on a clean sweep, Gill viewed the match as a valuable learning experience for India and praised several players for their contributions.
“I think there are a lot of positives for us. Also, learning from the opposition. They were under a lot of pressure, and the way they came back was tremendous,” he said.
Gill singled out Devdutt Padikkal, Manav Suthar and KL Rahul for praise, while also appreciating the effort of India’s fast bowlers. He said the team was entering an exciting phase and could take several positives from the series.
Suthar, in particular, emerged as one of India’s major success stories. The left-arm spinner finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets. Gill was highly impressed by his consistency, control and method of releasing the ball.
“Everything impressed me about him. How consistent he is, how he releases the ball, and how it goes off his wrist and fingers. Very pleasing bowler to watch. He's going to be a very crucial bowler for us,” the India captain said.
The match, however, belonged to Dinusha, whose marathon innings transformed what appeared to be a straightforward victory opportunity for India into an extraordinary fight for survival.
Sri Lanka had been forced to follow on after being dismissed for 290 in their first innings, leaving India with a narrow 16-run lead. With the hosts beginning the final day under enormous pressure, Dinusha produced a remarkable display of concentration and defensive batting.
Sri Lanka eventually reached 429/9 in 154 overs before declaring late in the final session, effectively ending India’s hopes of forcing a result.
Dinusha remained unbeaten on 133 from 264 deliveries and completed his second century of the match immediately after the tea break. He reached the landmark by clipping a full delivery from Mohammed Siraj towards mid-wicket for two runs. He then removed his helmet and raised his bat as the SSC crowd applauded his extraordinary achievement.
The century was Dinusha’s third of the series, making him only the third Sri Lankan batter after Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara to score three hundreds in a two-Test series. He also became the eighth Sri Lankan to score centuries in both innings of a Test.
India’s bowlers, having spent long periods on the field over three days, struggled to extract enough assistance from the surface. Siraj was restricted by a physical niggle, while Ravindra Jadeja also appeared to be battling discomfort.
Such was the exhaustion within the Indian camp that Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel were called upon to bowl during the closing stages.
Sri Lanka’s lower order then provided the final resistance India needed to break. Lahiru Kumara battled for 90 deliveries to score 12 before Jadeja finally dismissed him, with Jaiswal taking an excellent catch at short leg.
Dinusha subsequently shifted gears. He struck two sixes off Jadeja and Gill, both over deep mid-wicket, before hitting consecutive boundaries against Jaiswal’s leg-spin.
He also shared an unbeaten 27-run last-wicket partnership with Asitha Fernando, who scored no runs but faced 24 deliveries, playing a crucial role simply by staying at the crease.
With victory no longer possible, the teams eventually shook hands and accepted the draw. Dinusha finished the series with an outstanding 419 runs at an average of 139.66, underlining his importance to Sri Lanka’s campaign.
The Sri Lankan dressing room gave the young batter another standing ovation, while Indian players also congratulated him for his exceptional effort.
For India, the result denied them a 2-0 series victory but offered important lessons ahead of a demanding international schedule. Gill said consistency in preparation and performance would be essential as India target qualification for the World Test Championship final.
“It’s important for us to be consistent on and off the field with our preparation and performance and how we go about things,” Gill said.
India will next travel to New Zealand before beginning a home season, and Gill expressed confidence that the team could continue building towards its WTC ambitions.
“Yes, we are going to New Zealand, so that’ll be a good series for us and then a good home season. We’ll keep believing, and hopefully we’ll make it to the WTC final,” he said.
Brief scores: India 503/9 declared in 138 overs; Sri Lanka 290 and 429/9 declared in 154 overs (Sonal Dinusha 133 not out, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Manav Suthar 3/105, Ravindra Jadeja 3/94). Match drawn; India won the two-Test series 1-0.
