India captain Shubman Gill believes the slow nature of the Sinhalese Sports Club pitch made batting significantly easier during the latter stages of the drawn Colombo Test against Sri Lanka.
India spent more than 240 overs in the field after enforcing the follow-on, but Sri Lanka resisted strongly to secure a hard-fought draw, largely thanks to Sonal Dinusha’s remarkable 133 off 264 balls.
Gill felt the biggest challenge for India’s bowlers was that the pitch, despite offering considerable turn, did not provide enough pace or bounce to bring key modes of dismissal into play.“When LBW and bowled - two modes of dismissals are not in play for the bowlers, then it becomes a little easier to bat,” Gill said.
According to Gill, the ball was turning sharply but doing so slowly and with sufficient bounce for batters to defend comfortably. As a result, India were largely dependent on catches around the bat or at slip to make breakthroughs.
India had appeared to be in complete control after bowling Sri Lanka out 14 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. With rain threatening to reduce playing time, Gill opted to enforce the follow-on rather than bat again and set a target.
The decision meant India spent another lengthy period in the field, but Gill defended the call.
“We wanted to take that chance,” he explained, adding that India had considered both options before deciding that enforcing the follow-on gave them the best opportunity to force a result.
India’s plans became increasingly difficult as Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha added 100 runs during the morning session. India initially placed several close-in fielders in an attempt to force a mistake, but Dinusha’s ability to score consistently through sweeps and reverse sweeps forced Gill to spread the field.
After Nuwantha was dismissed soon after lunch, India attempted to keep Dinusha on strike while attacking the tailenders. However, Sri Lanka’s lower order showed little interest in attacking, making it difficult for India to create chances.
Dinusha remained composed throughout, repeatedly finding the gaps square of the wicket. Gill praised the young batter’s defence and shot selection, noting that he did not offer even a half-chance during his marathon innings.
India also tried using short-pitched bowling to unsettle Dinusha, but the lack of pace from the surface made the tactic ineffective. Even Prasidh Krishna, bowling around 135-140 kmph, struggled to generate enough response from the pitch.
Dinusha eventually completed a remarkable resistance, batting for 264 deliveries and helping Sri Lanka preserve the draw.
Gill admitted that India were disappointed after failing to convert their dominant position into victory, particularly after posting a huge first-innings total. However, he credited Sri Lanka for their resilience and acknowledged the difficulty of winning Test matches away from home.
Despite the setback, Gill remains confident about India’s chances of reaching the World Test Championship final. India will next face New Zealand in a two-Test series in October before hosting Australia for a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“I still think we've got a pretty good chance to qualify for the WTC,” Gill said, stressing that a strong performance against New Zealand could put India in a favourable position heading into the Australia series.
