New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised the Shubman Gill-led side's 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka, highlighting the character, patience, and mental toughness shown by the players.
India were denied a series whitewash after the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo ended in a draw despite enforcing the follow-on. At the heart of Sri Lanka's remarkable resistance was Sonal Dinusha, who struck centuries in both innings to help the hosts save the match.
Following the series' conclusion, India head coach Gautam Gambhir took to social media to praise his team's resilience and acknowledge Dinusha's outstanding performances, despite the draw denying India a clean sweep.
"Test cricket needs character, patience and mental toughness that's shown by our boys! Special shoutout to Sonal Dinusha for his exceptional performance," Gambhir wrote in an Instagram post.
Coming to the Colombo match, India opted to bat first, with centuries from Padikkal (117 in 193 balls, with 12 fours), Dhruv Jurel (115* in 177 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and half-centuries from Rishabh Pant (63 in 89 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and skipper Gill (50 in 108 balls, with six fours) taking India to 503/9, with Asitha Fernando taking four-fer.
In their first innings, SL was skittled out for 290, with Dinusha's second century (103 in 162 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and a fine 80 from Pasindu Sooriyabandara (in 133 balls, with nine fours) standing out. Prasidh Krishna and Suthar were among the wickets for India with three each.
During the follow-on, India had SL down for 218/6, but a 112-run stand between Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha (46 in 150 balls, with four boundaries) pushed Sri Lanka towards a sizeable lead. Dinusha (133* in 264 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) reached his third ton of the series, with resistance from the lower order, who soaked in deliveries to support him. SL ended at 429/9, drawing the Test.
Earlier in the series opener, India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs at Galle, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, with Manav Suthar's maiden 10-wicket haul and Devdutt Padikkal's 167 in the first innings playing key roles in the victory. (ANI)
