Sri Lanka stun India with fightback after follow-on; Sonal Dinusha’s century earns draw

COLOMBO: India and Sri Lanka produced a thrilling contest on the fifth day of the second Test, with the hosts staging a remarkable fightback after being asked to follow on. Sonal Dinusha’s brilliant century helped Sri Lanka hold India to a draw, preventing the visitors from completing a 2-0 series sweep.

India had declared their first innings at 503/9 after batting first. Sri Lanka were then bowled out for 290, giving India a 213-run first-innings lead. Indian captain Shubman Gill then opted to enforce the follow-on.

Sri Lanka, however, responded strongly in their second innings. Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis put together a crucial 116-run partnership. Sooriyabandara scored 92, while Mendis contributed a half-century to keep Sri Lanka’s hopes alive.

Sonal Dinusha then took charge of the resistance, putting India’s hopes of securing a win under pressure. He completed his century on the fifth day and remained unbeaten through the final stages, helping Sri Lanka push their total beyond India’s reach. Manav Suthar and Prasidh Krishna were among India’s better performers with the ball.

Sri Lanka finished the match at 429/9, with Dinusha unbeaten on 131 and Asitha Fernando also not out as the teams settled for a draw. The result meant India won the two-match series 1-0. India had won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs.

The draw also had an impact on the World Test Championship points table. India remain fifth in the standings. A victory would have taken them to fourth place, but the draw saw their points percentage drop to 51.52, dealing a setback to their WTC campaign.