'Smart cricketer' Dinusha helps Sri Lanka draw second India Test / Photo: Ishara S. KODIKARA - AFP
'Smart cricketer' Dinusha helps Sri Lanka draw second India Test
Sonal Dinusha hit an unbeaten 133 as Sri Lanka staged a stunning comeback to draw the second Test against India in Colombo on Thursday.
Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 429-9 in the final session on day five after being made to follow on and the teams then shook hands before the 15 mandatory overs began.
India won the opening Test and claimed the two-match series 1-0.
"I don't think we could have done anything differently," said India skipper Shubman Gill. "A lot of positives for us, learning from the opposition. The way they came back, it was tremendous to see."
Gill acknowledged a "brilliant game", saying "Test cricket won today".
Sri Lanka, who resumed on 229-6, extended their lead to 216 runs, the left-handed Dinusha standing out with twin centuries in the match after his 103 in the first innings.
Dinusha, 25, batted superbly under pressure in just his fifth Test to be named player of the match after he made sure Sri Lanka picked up valuable points in the World Test Championship.
"He is a smart cricketer, this innings today would go down in history in Sri Lankan cricket as one of the greatest match-saving knocks," Sri Lanka coach Gary Kirsten told reporters. "It was great to watch."
Dinusha became only the eighth Sri Lankan to score hundreds in both innings of a Test, joining an exclusive list including Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Aravinda de Silva, T.M. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.
- Finding talent -
The match-saving hundred was Dinusha's third in Test cricket and also his career-best score.
Dinusha, who made 100 and 84 in the opening Test in Galle, amassed an impressive 420 runs in the series.
Indian batter Devdutt Padikkal was named player of the series for his 328 runs, including centuries in both matches.
India had looked favourites to wrap up the Test until day four, but overnight batters Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha (46) put on 112 runs for the seventh wicket to turn the match on its head.
"It's all about finding the talent," said de Silva, the Sri Lanka skipper. "I think the selectors and coach gave me that opportunity to get the youngsters in and let them really go there and do the job for the country."
Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar broke the stand in the first over after lunch to have Nuwantha caught at second slip following a wicketless first session.
Veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja then had Prabath Jayasuriya out for two but Dinusha kept up the fight with the lower-order.
India, who posted 503-9 declared in their first innings, enforced the follow-on after they bowled out Sri Lanka out for 290.
The hosts were in trouble at 218-6 in their second innings before Dinusha and Nuwantha ground their way towards a draw.
India stay fifth in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka sixth.
M.Rodriguez--PI
