Sri Lanka produced a spirited fightback to take the second test against India in Colombo and stop the visitors from completing a 2-0 series sweep.
India looked in total control for most of the match and scored 503/9 declared and Sri Lanka was bowled out for 290. India enforced the follow-on after taking a first-innings lead of 213 runs. At that stage a comfortable series sweep was very likely.
Sri Lanka completely changed the story in the second innings. Their batters showed great patience and fought through a very difficult situation to take the match away from India’s reach.
Sri Lanka declared their second innings at 429/9, giving India a theoretical target but then with too little time for the visitors to chase it. The match ended in a draw. India won the series 1-0.
The result was particularly impressive because Sri Lanka became the fourth team in Test history to save a match against India after being forced to follow on.
Second test match ends in a draw. India were in the field for almost three days & bowled close to 244 overs.
— Aryan (@chinchat09) August 27, 2026
Sri Lanka on the other hand played with positive intent after follow on & Sonal Dinusha stands out in this tournament.
India wins series 1-0 #INDvsSL #SLvIND…
India dominated before Sri Lanka’s epic fight.
India won the toss and chose to bat first at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The visitors put up 503/9 declared, with several batters making important contributions.
Devdutt Padikkal continued his excellent form and scored his second consecutive Test century. Dhruv Jurel also produced an unbeaten 115 and Rishabh Pant contributed 63. India finished with a commanding total before declaring their innings.
Sri Lanka struggled to match India's total in their first innings.
The hosts were eventually bowled out for 290, leaving India with a massive 213-run lead. Sonal Dinusha again stood out for Sri Lanka with 103, and he scored his second century in the series.
Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar took three wickets each for India, while debutant Saransh Jain took the last two wickets.
With such a big lead, India had a clear opportunity to attack for victory. So captain Shubman Gill enforced the follow-on and asked Sri Lanka to bat again immediately.
The decision put Sri Lanka under enormous pressure.
The hosts had to bat for a long time to survive in the match. India needed 10 wickets, while Sri Lanka had to survive long enough to take the game out of India’s reach.
Sri Lanka then struggled again, but their young batters gradually changed the momentum.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara played a crucial innings and scored 92 runs, showing great patience against India’s spinners. Kamindu Mendis also contributed a valuable 55. Their resistance gave Sri Lanka hope of saving the Test.
India kept bringing pressure, but rain kept interrupting the match. Sri Lanka had a much stronger position at the end of the fourth day.
The hosts were 329/6, and India was 116 runs ahead with several wickets still available.
At that point India still had a chance, though the weather and Sri Lanka's batting resistance had made the task much harder.
Sonal Dinusha Completes A Match-Saving Masterclass.
The biggest hero of Sri Lanka’s fightback was Sonal Dinusha.
After scoring 103 in the first innings, Dinusha returned to the crease in the second innings and produced another outstanding performance.
He remained unbeaten on 133 and guided Sri Lanka through the most difficult phase of the match. Sri Lanka had already been forced to follow on and needed a big batting effort to save the game.
Dinusha's performance also added to an extraordinary personal series against India.
He had already scored 100 and 84 in the first Test in Galle. He then scored 103 in the first innings of the Colombo Test before adding another century in the second innings.
His consistency provided Sri Lanka with the stability they so desperately needed.
By the time Sri Lanka declared at 429/9, India had very little time left to chase the target. The players finally shook hands and confirmed the draw.
India’s result will be a disappointment after dominating large parts of the match. Sri Lanka was under pressure after the team took a 213-run first-innings lead and enforced the follow-on.
It did not result in the expected result, however.
Sri Lanka’s lower and middle order showed huge resistance, and Dinusha played a key role again. Rain interruptions also helped the hosts in this respect, as India were able to bat more time to take the rest of the wickets.
Despite the draw, India still leave Sri Lanka victorious in the series by a margin of 1-0. They won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs, taking an early lead in the two-match series.
Sri Lanka will feel that a 2-0 defeat will not be a big loss. The team stuck together as they were thrown into a very tough situation and managed to save a Test which looked like being lost in the first innings.
The match also illustrated the importance of patience in Test cricket. India had the upper hand for most of the game, but Sri Lanka's batters didn’t give up.
Sonal Dinusha’s two centuries, along with important contributions from Sooriyabandara and Mendis, helped Sri Lanka turn a likely defeat into a memorable draw.
India thus finish the series as 1-0 winners, while Sri Lanka walk away from Colombo with one of their most impressive Test escapes in recent years.
