India secured a 1-0 Test series victory against Sri Lanka after the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo ended in a hard-fought draw.
Opting to bat, India declared at 503/9 before bowling the hosts out for 290 to secure a 213-run first-innings lead.
The visitors enforced the follow-on, but Sri Lanka showed remarkable resilience in their second innings. They reached 429/9 on the back of Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133, taking a lead of 216 runs, prompting both captains to shake hands and settle for a draw.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, India skipper Shubman Gill admitted the inability to secure a clean sweep was frustrating, but gave his team a "10 out of 10" for their intent and effort after fielding for nearly 250 overs across three consecutive days.
“It gets very frustrating. We attacked a lot in the beginning. But I think as the match went on, the wicket got slower. It was not like the ball was not moving and when the ball was spinning, the wickets were not in play. It was not like the wicket was very flat,” Gill told reporters.
“Unless you are playing a shot and looking to make a run, then it is difficult to take a wicket. We tried all that we could, and I don’t think there was any lack of intensity or the efforts that we put in. The spinners bowled 50-60 overs on the trot for three days. Fielding for three days is not an easy task in these conditions. I would say 10 out of 10 for the effort and the intent,” he added.
Gill also credited the single-minded defensive approach and immense skill shown by the Sri Lankan batters.
“They also played really well. On day 4, we thought we had created chances. If there was a little more pressure, the wickets would have come and then maybe the result would have been better. But as long as we still have a chance to qualify for the World Test Championship (final), it’s fine,” he stated.
Indian pace spearhead Mohammad Siraj bowled at a decreased pace and often from a shorter run-up in this Test. However, Gill ruled out any injury concern, especially after the fast bowler landed hard while attempting to take a catch in Sri Lanka’s first innings.
“Firstly, Siraj is not injured. He didn’t feel well even in the first match (at Galle). He last played against Afghanistan in June…so he was playing almost after a couple of months. It takes time for someone to come back to the rhythm.
“Even in the first Test, we felt that his pace was slow. But sometimes when you play more, you come back to the rhythm. But as far as the injury is concerned, there is nothing,” the captain said.
Gill heavily praised pacer Prasidh Krishna, calling him the "pick of our bowlers" and his go-to option when the pitch offered minimal assistance.
“I think he’s been in the pick of our bowlers. When things are not happening, he’s been our go-to bowler, especially this season. He’s created chances, which is what I want as a captain. We want a go-to bowler when wickets are not guaranteed. I think he did that brilliantly,” he remarked.
Despite dropping points and remaining fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings, Shubman Gill remained optimistic about India's qualification chances ahead of their upcoming Test series against New Zealand and Australia.
“I still think we’ve got a pretty good chance to qualify for the WTC final. If we play the New Zealand series well and then, hopefully, by the time the Australia series comes, we just have to win the series.
“If we’re in a situation where we just have to win the series, I think we’ll be in a good position to qualify for the WTC,” he noted.
(With PTI Inputs)
