India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 4: India regained control of the Colombo Test despite fighting half-centuries from Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis, with Sri Lanka reaching 229 for 6 after being forced to follow on.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — India moved within touching distance of victory in the second Test at the SSC on Wednesday after Manav Suthar’s two crucial wickets helped halt Sri Lanka’s resistance on day four. Sri Lanka reached 229 for 6 in their second innings, leaving India with a lead of 16 runs after the visitors had declared on 503 for 9.
Key Highlights
- Sri Lanka were 229 for 6 at stumps after being forced to follow on, leading India by 16 runs.
- Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 92 and Kamindu Mendis scored 55, but both were dismissed after a 115-run third-wicket partnership.
- Manav Suthar took 2 for 81 in the second innings, including the crucial wickets of Dhananjaya de Silva and Sooriyabandara.
- India’s first innings featured centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, with India declaring at 503 for 9.
India Regain Control After Sri Lanka’s Strong Start
Sri Lanka began the second innings 213 runs behind and initially looked capable of producing a remarkable turnaround. After Lahiru Udara fell for 3, Kamil Mishara and Sooriyabandara counterattacked before Mishara was dismissed for 32 by Ravindra Jadeja.
Sooriyabandara then combined with Kamindu Mendis for 115 runs from 172 balls. Their partnership pushed Sri Lanka to 178 for 3 and brought the hosts within striking distance of India’s total.
Mendis reached 55 before Prasidh Krishna’s short-ball strategy finally worked. Mendis miscued a pull and Shubman Gill completed a difficult running catch, ending a partnership that had given Sri Lanka genuine hope.
Sooriyabandara Falls Eight Short of Century
Sooriyabandara continued to anchor the innings after Mendis departed. He reached 92 from 173 balls, including 10 fours and a six, but his attempt to attack Suthar brought his innings to an abrupt end.
Suthar anticipated Sooriyabandara advancing down the pitch and bowled the ball wide outside off. Rishabh Pant completed the stumping, removing a batter who had threatened to turn the match in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Four overs later, Saransh Jain dismissed Niroshan Dickwella for 6. Sri Lanka were suddenly 218 for 6 after having reached 209 for 4 earlier in the innings.
Suthar and Jain Break Sri Lanka’s Resistance
Suthar’s other major breakthrough came when Dhananjaya de Silva was caught at silly gully for 23. De Silva’s inside edge ballooned off his pad, allowing Devdutt Padikkal to take the chance.
Rain then ended play with Sri Lanka on 229 for 6 after 72.4 overs. Sonal Dinusha was unbeaten on 7 alongside Keshara Nuwantha, who was 3 not out.
Dinusha’s Century Earlier Kept Sri Lanka in the Game
Earlier, Sri Lanka resumed their first innings on 251 for 8, needing 39 more runs to avoid the follow-on. Sonal Dinusha completed a century from his overnight 85, scoring 103 from 162 balls with eight fours and three sixes.
His innings helped Sri Lanka reach 290, but Saransh Jain claimed his first Test wicket when Lahiru Kumara was dismissed for 12. Jain then completed the innings by having Dinusha caught at slip.
India therefore enforced the follow-on after gaining a first-innings advantage of 213 runs.
India’s 503/9 Declared Built the Advantage
India’s first innings was dominated by Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel. Padikkal scored 117 from 193 balls, while Jurel remained unbeaten on 115 from 177 balls.
Rishabh Pant contributed 63, Shubman Gill made 50 and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 45. Ravindra Jadeja added 43, while Manav Suthar made 18 and Mohammed Siraj scored 3.
Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with 4 for 106. Keshara Nuwantha took 2 for 154 and Prabath Jayasuriya claimed 2 for 132 as India reached 503 for 9 from 138 overs before declaring.
Full Scorecard: Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test
India 1st Innings — 503/9 declared
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | b Asitha Fernando | 45 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 84.90 |
| KL Rahul | c Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara | 18 | 33 | 2 | 1 | 54.54 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | b Keshara Nuwantha | 117 | 193 | 12 | 0 | 60.62 |
| Shubman Gill | c Dickwella b Asitha Fernando | 50 | 108 | 6 | 0 | 46.29 |
| Rishabh Pant | c Udara b Keshara Nuwantha | 63 | 89 | 6 | 2 | 70.78 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | b Asitha Fernando | 43 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 51.80 |
| Dhruv Jurel | not out | 115 | 177 | 9 | 2 | 64.97 |
| Saransh Jain | c Mishara b Asitha Fernando | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Manav Suthar | c Dickwella b Prabath Jayasuriya | 18 | 51 | 2 | 0 | 35.29 |
| Mohammed Siraj | lbw b Prabath Jayasuriya | 3 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 10.34 |
| Prasidh Krishna | not out | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Extras | b 8, lb 3, nb 3, w 7 | 21 | ||||
| Total | 138 overs | 503/9d | ||||
Sri Lanka 1st Innings — 290 all out
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahiru Udara | c Jaiswal b Prasidh Krishna | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.66 |
| Kamil Mishara | c Jurel b Prasidh Krishna | 19 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 76.00 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | lbw b Manav Suthar | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| Pasindu Sooriyabandara | b Ravindra Jadeja | 80 | 133 | 9 | 0 | 60.15 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c Jadeja b Prasidh Krishna | 32 | 58 | 3 | 1 | 55.17 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Rahul b Manav Suthar | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Sonal Dinusha | c Rahul b Saransh Jain | 103 | 162 | 8 | 3 | 63.58 |
| Niroshan Dickwella | c Jurel b Mohammed Siraj | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Keshara Nuwantha | c Jain b Manav Suthar | 18 | 74 | 2 | 1 | 24.32 |
| Lahiru Kumara | c Jurel b Saransh Jain | 12 | 58 | 2 | 0 | 20.68 |
| Asitha Fernando | not out | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Extras | lb 6, nb 6, w 2 | 14 | ||||
| Total | 89.4 overs | 290 | ||||
Sri Lanka 2nd Innings — 229/6 after 72.4 overs
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahiru Udara | c Saransh Jain b Mohammed Siraj | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Kamil Mishara | lbw b Ravindra Jadeja | 32 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 82.05 |
| Pasindu Sooriyabandara | st Pant b Manav Suthar | 92 | 173 | 10 | 1 | 53.17 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c Shubman Gill b Prasidh Krishna | 55 | 92 | 2 | 3 | 59.78 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Padikkal b Manav Suthar | 23 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 52.27 |
| Sonal Dinusha | not out | 7 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 18.91 |
| Niroshan Dickwella | lbw b Saransh Jain | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Keshara Nuwantha | not out | 3 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 10.34 |
| Extras | b 3, nb 5 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 72.4 overs | 229/6 | ||||
Bowling Figures
| India Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prasidh Krishna | 16 | 2 | 52 | 3 | 3.25 |
| Manav Suthar | 22 | 1 | 85 | 3 | 3.86 |
| Saransh Jain | 20.4 | 5 | 69 | 2 | 3.33 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 11 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 20 | 4 | 45 | 1 | 2.25 |
Sri Lanka Bowling Figures
| Sri Lanka Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 29 | 5 | 106 | 4 | 3.65 |
| Lahiru Kumara | 20 | 4 | 68 | 1 | 3.40 |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | 42 | 7 | 132 | 2 | 3.14 |
| Keshara Nuwantha | 38 | 3 | 154 | 2 | 4.05 |
Day Four Match Situation
At stumps, Sri Lanka were 229 for 6 after 72.4 overs and led India by 16 runs. Sonal Dinusha was unbeaten on 7 and Keshara Nuwantha was unbeaten on 3.
Three Sri Lankan batters — Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara and Asitha Fernando — were still to bat. India had taken six wickets after enforcing the follow-on.
The second Test is being played at Colombo’s SSC from August 23 to 27, with India having won the toss and elected to bat first. Rain ended day four early, leaving the final day to decide whether Sri Lanka can extend the contest or India can complete the result.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Editor at The Nation Bulletin. With over 3 years of experience in digital journalism and news reporting, he covers national affairs, governance, and breaking current events with a commitment to factual accuracy and verified reporting.
