Captain Shubman Gill stood by his teammates and praised their efforts despite India missing out on a 2-0 Test series sweep in Sri Lanka. Gill also defended Mohammed Siraj, rejecting suggestions that the senior pacer was carrying an injury during the series, particularly in the second Test that ended in a draw on Thursday, August 27.
Gill’s comments came after India failed to dismiss Sri Lanka’s final four batters on the fifth day of the second Test. Sri Lanka had been asked to follow on and resumed the final day with only four wickets remaining. However, 25-year-old Sonal Dinusha frustrated India’s bowling attack throughout the day, remaining unbeaten on 133 to help Sri Lanka secure a draw.
Sri Lanka eventually declared at 429 for 9 after batting for 154 overs in the second innings. With little time remaining, the two captains shook hands with an hour still left before the scheduled close of play.
Siraj struggled to produce his usual pace and penetration during the match. Although he bowled 15 overs for only 26 runs, he was unable to make the breakthrough India needed. The pacer had suffered a rib injury while fielding on Day 4, but Gill insisted there were no fitness concerns.
Gill said Siraj’s pace had been slightly lower during the series, but attributed it to the bowler returning after a couple of months without playing rather than an injury.
India won the two-match series 1-0, although the draw significantly damaged their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. India remain fifth in the ongoing WTC cycle, behind Bangladesh, with five wins from 11 matches.
FOLLOW-ON WAS THE RIGHT CALL: GILL
India appeared to be in complete control after dismissing Sri Lanka for 290 following their own first-innings total of 503. With rain and other weather interruptions a concern, India decided to enforce the follow-on on the morning of Day 4 despite having already bowled 89.4 overs.
The decision initially appeared to pay off as Sri Lanka slipped to 218 for 6. However, Dinusha once again stood between India and victory, producing an unbeaten 133 to ensure the hosts survived.
Gill defended the decision to enforce the follow-on, saying it was the best option given the weather conditions and did not backfire.
Dinusha ended the series with 420 runs, including three centuries and a half-century. His performances included one of the most impressive fourth-innings knocks of the series. He repeatedly used the sweep against India’s spinners and came down the pitch effectively to disrupt their rhythm.
Manav Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Saransh Jain struggled to maintain the required penetration as the pitch remained far more stable than expected on the final day.
Gill refused to blame his bowlers, arguing that the conditions simply did not provide them with enough assistance. He praised the effort of the entire team, particularly after spending three days in the field.
The India captain said the team had plenty to learn from the match and credited Sri Lanka for their determined fightback. He also praised their bowling performance and said he did not believe India could have approached the match significantly differently.
The series marked India’s first overseas Test series victory under Gill’s captaincy and Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach. However, the final Test ended on a disappointing note for India after they had controlled much of the match for four days.
The draw was also notable because it was the first Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club to end without a winner in 11 years. The ground had produced eight consecutive outright results during that period.
