The second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo ended in a draw on Day 5.
India had dominated the Test for most of the five days. After declaring their first innings at 503/9, India bowled Sri Lanka out for 290 and took a 213 run first-innings lead.
India then enforced the follow on. At that stage, India looked in a position to finish the match with a win. But Sri Lanka’s second innings completely changed the situation.
Sri Lanka started Day 5 at 229/6 with a narrow lead and four wickets remaining. India needed to take those wickets quickly and then chase whatever target was set.
Instead, Sonal Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha frustrated India from the first session.
The pair added 111 runs for the seventh wicket, with Dinusha continuing his excellent series.
Nuwantha eventually fell for 46, but Dinusha remained at the crease and continued to take the game away from India. Dinusha eventually finished unbeaten on 133.
And this was the biggest problem for India. Why could India not finish off Sri Lanka’s lower order?
Dinusha was comfortably rotating the strike and giving the other batters enough time at the crease. Even after Nuwantha’s dismissal, Sri Lanka continued to find a way to survive.
This was not a completely new problem either. India had struggled to finish Sri Lanka’s lower order earlier in the match, and the same issue again became important on the final day.
Sri Lanka’s lower order batters showed the patience required to save a Test. For India, the field settings will also come under discussion.
With wickets the only priority, should India have gone with more attacking fields instead of concentrating on saving runs?
The situation became even more difficult because of the time available. India first needed to take the remaining wickets. Then came the chase. With rain already affecting the Test throughout the match, India simply did not have enough time to complete both tasks.
By the time Sri Lanka had done enough to make the draw certain, there was no realistic chance of an India chase.
Sri Lanka eventually declared their second innings at 429/9, with 17 overs still left, and the players shook hands.
For Sri Lanka, this was a huge escape. They had been 213 runs behind in the first innings and had been forced to follow on.
Yet they managed to bat long enough to save the Test. It was the first time Sri Lanka had saved a Test against India after being asked to follow on.
For India, this was a missed opportunity. They had the advantage, they had the follow on and they had enough time to put Sri Lanka under pressure. But when the final wickets mattered most, the Indian bowling attack could not finish the job.
The draw also means India missed the chance to take a full win from the Test, although they still won the two match series 1-0.
Sri Lanka’s lower order fought until the end. Dinusha stood firm. India kept searching for the final wickets.
But in the end, there was simply not enough time left. India had dominated the Colombo Test. Sri Lanka had the last say.
