Home » Sports » Cricket » Dhananjaya de Silva praises young players after Sri Lanka draw second Test against India
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva credited the team’s young players, selectors, and coaching staff following a resilient effort to draw the second Test against India at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Thursday.
Despite conceding a 213-run first-innings deficit and being forced to follow on, Sri Lanka showed remarkable determination to reach 429 for 9 in their second innings. Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 was instrumental in denying India victory.
India secured the two-match Test series 1-0 after a 165-run win in the first Test in Galle.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, De Silva emphasised the importance of nurturing young talent. He stated, “It’s all about finding the talent. I think the selectors and coach gave me that opportunity to get the youngsters in and let them really go there and do the job for the country.”
Regarding the return of injured players, the Sri Lankan captain acknowledged that competition for places would present a positive challenge. “It’s a good headache to have; three guys who were playing and have to come back will find it tough to get in,” he added.
De Silva also expressed some regret about his own performance, saying, “Maybe in the second innings I should have batted longer. That’s the point where they got back in the match.”
In the match, Sri Lanka staged a notable comeback after India posted 503 for 9 declared in their first innings, powered by centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (115 not out), with Rishabh Pant adding a quick 63.
Sri Lanka were initially bowled out for 290 in their first innings, with Dinusha scoring 103. Following the follow-on, Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 92 and Kamindu Mendis 55 to support the recovery. Dinusha anchored the second innings with an unbeaten 133 off 264 balls, guiding Sri Lanka to avoid defeat.
Dinusha ended the series as Sri Lanka’s top performer with 409 runs in four innings, including three centuries and a fifty.
For India, Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja each took three wickets in the second innings. Suthar finished the series as India’s leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets while Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando claimed 10 wickets to top the home side’s bowling charts.
The draw marked a rare record for Sri Lanka, achieving their largest follow-on lead in Test cricket, surpassing their previous record against England at Lord’s in 2006.
Brief scores: India 503/9 declared (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115*, Asitha Fernando 4/106) vs Sri Lanka 290 and 429/9 (Sonal Dinusha 133, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92; Ravindra Jadeja 3/94).
This story is written by TNM Bureau with inputs from ANI. The News Mill is a Guwahati-based digital media with focus on content from across Northeast India and beyond. We can be reached through [email protected]
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