Sonal Dinusha produced one of Sri Lanka’s finest recent rearguard innings on Thursday, August 27, 2026, scoring an unbeaten 133 to help the hosts escape with a remarkable draw against India in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. What had looked like a near-certain Indian victory turned into a memorable display of resistance as Dinusha batted for seven hours and received determined support from Sri Lanka’s lower order.
Sri Lanka, forced to follow on after conceding a huge 213-run first-innings deficit, finished their second innings at 429 for 9. That left them 216 runs ahead and effectively ended India’s chances of completing a 2-0 clean sweep. India nevertheless won the two-Test series 1-0 after their 165-run victory in the opening Test at Galle.
India Had Taken Complete Control of the Test
India had put themselves in a commanding position after winning the toss and batting first. Devdutt Padikkal continued his excellent form with 117, while wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel made an unbeaten 115. Captain Shubman Gill contributed 50, Rishabh Pant scored 63 and Ravindra Jadeja added 43 as India declared at 503 for 9.
Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler in the innings with figures of 4 for 106. However, the size of India’s total meant Sri Lanka faced enormous pressure from the moment they began batting.
That pressure increased when Sri Lanka were reduced to 8 for 2 early in their first innings. They eventually recovered to 290, with Dinusha making an important 103 and Pasindu Sooriyabandara scoring 80. Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar took three wickets each for India.
With a first-innings lead of 213 runs, India captain Shubman Gill enforced the follow-on.
Match scores: India 503/9 declared; Sri Lanka 290 and 429/9 declared.
Sri Lanka Still Looked in Serious Trouble on Day Four
Even after being asked to bat again, Sri Lanka did not surrender easily. Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis led the resistance during the second innings, but India kept taking wickets and appeared to be closing in on victory.
Rain ended Day Four early with Sri Lanka on 229 for 6. The hosts were only 16 runs ahead and had just four wickets remaining. Dinusha was unbeaten on seven from 37 deliveries.
At that stage, India remained overwhelming favourites. Sri Lanka needed their remaining batters not simply to score runs but to survive almost the entire final day against an Indian attack that had already bowled them out once.
Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha Change the Match
The fifth day became a remarkable exercise in patience.
Dinusha was joined by Keshara Nuwantha, and the pair completely frustrated India during the morning session. India failed to take a wicket before lunch as both batters concentrated on survival rather than allowing the match situation to force them into risky strokes.
Their seventh-wicket partnership eventually reached 112 runs.
Nuwantha played an especially important supporting role, making 46 from 150 balls. He survived several difficult moments and twice benefited from successful reviews before Manav Suthar finally removed him shortly after lunch.
The partnership transformed the atmosphere of the match. India were still capable of winning, but they were now racing against time as well as trying to take the remaining wickets.
Dinusha Completes a Magnificent Century
Dinusha refused to change his approach after Nuwantha’s dismissal. He defended carefully against the spinners, used the sweep effectively and avoided unnecessary risks.
The left-hander eventually completed his century from 196 deliveries.
It was his second hundred of the match after his 103 in Sri Lanka’s first innings and his third century in four innings during the series. His scores across the two Tests were 100, 84, 103 and 133 not out, giving him 420 runs at an average of 140.
More importantly, the hundred came when his team’s survival depended almost entirely on him staying at the crease.
Dinusha eventually finished unbeaten on 133 from 264 balls, having batted for exactly seven hours. His innings contained eight fours and two sixes.
Sri Lanka’s Tail Produces Extraordinary Resistance
Dinusha could not have saved the match alone. Sri Lanka’s lower-order batters produced some of the most important defensive innings of the Test.
After Nuwantha departed, Prabath Jayasuriya spent valuable time at the crease before India broke through again.
Then came Lahiru Kumara.
Normally selected for his fast bowling rather than his batting, Kumara produced an extraordinary defensive effort. He scored only 12 runs but faced 90 deliveries, occupying the crease long enough to drain much of the remaining time from the match.
Dinusha and Kumara added another vital partnership before Jadeja finally dismissed Kumara. By then, however, India’s realistic chances of forcing victory had almost disappeared.
Asitha Fernando also helped consume the remaining deliveries as Sri Lanka moved deeper into the final session.
The scale of the resistance was extraordinary. After losing their sixth wicket, Sri Lanka’s lower order collectively spent close to 90 overs at the crease alongside Dinusha.
India Try Everything but Cannot Find the Final Wicket
Shubman Gill continually changed his bowlers and field placements as India searched for a breakthrough.
Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar carried much of the workload. Jadeja finished with 3 for 94 and Suthar with 3 for 121, but the slow Colombo surface increasingly favoured batters willing to defend patiently.
India eventually became so desperate for a breakthrough that Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel were given opportunities with the ball late in the day.
Gill had bowled only seven deliveries previously in his Test career before being used for two overs during the closing stages. He even came close to taking the final wicket, but Sri Lanka survived.
Sri Lanka eventually declared at 429 for 9 with a lead of 216 runs and insufficient time remaining for India to realistically pursue victory. The teams agreed to the draw.
A Rare Historical Achievement for Dinusha
Dinusha’s performance carried historical significance as well.
By scoring 103 in the first innings and an unbeaten 133 while Sri Lanka were following on, he joined an extremely rare group of batters to score centuries in both innings of a Test when their team had been asked to follow on.
Associated Press reported that Dinusha became only the third player to achieve the feat, following India’s Vijay Hazare and Zimbabwe great Andy Flower.
He also became only the eighth Sri Lankan to score centuries in both innings of a Test and completed a remarkable series containing three hundreds and a fifty.
Dinusha Named Player of the Match
There was little doubt about the Player of the Match award.
Dinusha had scored 236 runs in the Test without being dismissed in the second innings, following his 103 with 133 not out. His contribution turned a match in which Sri Lanka had been forced to follow on into a draw.
After the match, Dinusha said getting runs against India was special and credited Sri Lanka’s coaching staff, his school and provincial coaches, his family and the tailenders who stayed with him.
Devdutt Padikkal was named Player of the Series after scoring 167 in Galle and 117 in Colombo.
India Win the Series, but Sri Lanka Take Heart from Colombo
India ultimately leave Sri Lanka with a deserved 1-0 Test series victory, having won the opening match at Galle by 165 runs. But the final day in Colombo belonged to Sri Lanka.
Gill said India had done everything they could and credited Sri Lanka’s batters for the way they resisted. Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva, meanwhile, viewed the performances of young players such as Dinusha and Sooriyabandara as encouraging signs for the future.
For Sri Lanka, the draw was more than simply avoiding defeat. They had conceded 503, been bowled out for 290, been forced to follow on and entered the final day only 16 runs ahead with four wickets remaining. From that position, saving the Test required exceptional concentration.
Dinusha supplied it.
His unbeaten 133, backed by Nuwantha’s 150-ball resistance and Kumara’s 90-ball stay, turned what appeared to be an inevitable defeat into one of Sri Lanka’s most memorable Test escapes in recent years. India took the trophy, but the final image of the series was Dinusha still standing at the crease after seven hours of defiance.
Satyakam is a seasoned professional content writer with over 15 years of experience in creating high-quality, research-driven content for digital platforms. He specialises in business, finance, banking, law, technology, and informational blogs.
