India vs Sri Lanka: 3 key reasons behind Shubman Gill & Co.'s missed win in Colombo Test

The Shubman Gill-led Indian team had to settle for a draw against Sri Lanka in the second Test of the two-match series, which cost them a few World Test Championship points and, if unfortunate, might cost India cricket team">India cricket team">India cricket team">India cricket team">India a spot in the WTC Final as well.

India dominated proceedings for the first three days and appeared to be cruising towards a comfortable win. But Sri Lanka’s determined batting effort and the changing nature of the track over the final two days turned the match on its head.

After bowling Sri Lanka out in the first innings, India’s bowlers couldn’t sustain the pressure in the second. While they removed the Sri Lankan top order early, the lower order proved tough to dislodge, allowing the hosts to eat up valuable time and add crucial runs.

Let’s take a look at three possible reasons behind India’s draw in the second Test:

A misjudged follow-on

Gill’s decision to enforce the follow-on seemed aggressive and logical, considering India’s commanding lead. But the move backfired from a modern Test perspective, as bowling in successive innings took some bite out of India’s pace and spin attacks.

Had India opted to bat again, Sri Lanka would have been left to chase runs in the fourth innings, when scoring on a turning pitch is far tougher. By enforcing the follow-on, India allowed Sri Lanka to stage a fightback and capitalise on the track when it was at its most benign during the final sessions of the third and fourth days.

Jadeja & Suthar’s inability to provide breakthroughs

The Colombo pitch offered plenty of turn, yet Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar found it tough to make regular inroads, with both technical and tactical factors coming into play.

While the pitch turned, it lacked significant bounce and pace, allowing batters on the slow track ample time to get on the back foot and defend. The Sri Lankan batters used their feet well against the spinners as well, preventing Jadeja and Suthar from settling into a steady line and length.

Sweeps and reverse-sweeps further disrupted their rhythm. Jadeja bowled with his customary control, but a lack of variation in pace made him easier to read, while Suthar’s inexperience showed as he struggled to produce wicket-taking balls during crucial periods.

Sonal Dinusha coming out of syllabus

Sonal Dinusha finished the two-Test series with 420 runs from four innings, at times making it seem as though India were up against him rather than the entire Sri Lankan batting unit.

With the hosts relying on their lone in-form batter, India couldn’t come up with an effective plan to dismiss him. Dinusha continued to pile on the runs as Sri Lanka fought their way to a draw, leaving the Indian coaching staff with little more than a watching brief.

The Test also served as a reminder for India that turn alone doesn’t guarantee success on subcontinental tracks. Tactical decisions and disciplined bowling remain crucial.