India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised his team’s character and mental toughness after the second Test against Sri Lanka ended in a draw in Colombo. While India secured a 1-0 series victory, the result denied them a chance to complete a 2-0 sweep after Sri Lanka mounted a determined fightback in the second innings.

India had enforced the follow-on after declaring their first innings at 503/9 and bowling Sri Lanka out for 290. The hosts were reduced to 218/6 in their second innings, leaving India needing four more wickets on the final day to set up a potential chase and push for victory.

However, Sri Lankan batter Sonal Dinusha produced a determined resistance, scoring an unbeaten century to keep his side in the contest. With support from Asitha Fernando, Dinusha frustrated India’s bowling attack as the visitors managed only two wickets on the final day. The partnership ultimately ensured Sri Lanka survived and secured a draw in Colombo.

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Gambhir praised the temperament displayed by the Indian players during the hard-fought Test while giving special recognition to Dinusha for his contribution. “Test cricket needs character, patience and mental toughness that’s shown by our boys! Special shoutout to Sonal Dinusha for his exceptional performance!” Gambhir wrote on X.

Dinusha enjoyed an outstanding series, finishing with 420 runs at an average of 140 across the two Tests. He scored three centuries, including two hundreds in the drawn Colombo Test. He also became only the eighth Sri Lankan batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test, joining Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.

India remained fifth in the World Test Championship standings following the result, while Sri Lanka stayed sixth. Captain Shubman Gill acknowledged Sri Lanka’s strong comeback and indicated that India had little to change from their approach. He praised the hosts’ resilience, with the drawn Test allowing India to return home with a 1-0 series victory despite falling short of a clean sweep.

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