Shubman Gill Blames Pitch For India's 1st Loss In WTC After Enforcing Follow On

Shubman Gill and the Colombo pitch [Source: AFP and X]

A heroic effort from the tail-enders and Sri Lanka's new Test phenomenon, Sonal Dinusha, ended India's hopes of completing a whitewash in Sri Lanka, as the hosts successfully defended the follow-on and finished with 429 runs in their second innings.

Shubman Gill, the Indian captain, broke his silence on what went wrong after the Indian team bowled Sri Lanka out for 290 in the first innings but failed to contain them in the second.

Gill's primary explanation for the hosts' effort and the team's bowling failure in Colombo was the pitch and weather conditions that shaped the game on days four and five. While appreciating Lanka's performance, Shubman Gill explained why and how the Indian team could not have done much better.

Shubman Gill brings up slow-pitch comparison after failure against Lankans

Day 4 of the 2nd Test saw Sri Lanka finish on 229/6, with Sonal Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha at the crease. Both were relatively new batters at that stage. However, after Day 5 began, the batters fought back.

By tea, Sri Lanka had reached 383/8 after 133 overs, with Dinusha on 98, while the tail-enders continued to provide valuable support. Soon, it seemed as though Sri Lanka had gained the upper hand with the bat as they crossed the 400-run mark after the follow-on was enforced.

It is interesting to note that although Sri Lanka had ended Day 4 just 16 runs ahead after being asked to follow on, they went on to build a massive lead. The Indian bowlers, particularly the spinners, struggled to take wickets on the Colombo pitch.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shubman Gill said that the team tried its best, but bowling a batter or getting them out LBW was extremely difficult on Day 5's Colombo wicket. Gill explained that the pitch had become slow and offered very little assistance, even to the spinners.

"Sri Lankan batters played very well, we tried our best but two modes of dismissal weren’t available, bowled & lbw weren’t possible on today's wicket," Gill shared.

Conversely, the Sri Lankan batters took full advantage of the conditions, with Dinusha scoring 133 runs, while Nuwantha finished his innings with 46.

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Gill addresses whether the follow-on was a mistake

After India held a 213-run lead on Day 4, anticipating that the pitch would offer assistance to trouble the already struggling Sri Lankan batting lineup, Gill decided to enforce the follow-on, hoping to bowl the hosts out inside 200 runs.

However, that plan went awry after Pasindu Sooriyabandara scored a valiant 92, while Kamindu Mendis contributed 55. These efforts, along with Sonal Dinusha's contribution, helped Sri Lanka avoid defeat and force a draw in the second Test, although India still won the series 1-0.

Maintaining a positive attitude, Shubman Gill revealed that the decision to enforce the follow-on did not backfire. Instead, India had anticipated rain and wanted to maximise their chances of forcing a result.

"I don’t think follow-on backfired, we fielded for over 250 overs. We were anticipating (rain), wanted to take that chance. Had we not taken and had it rained, you would have asked why no follow-on. Draw not hurting like a defeat… situation-wise, draw was credit to them, we hoped for a win so disappointing. We did everything we can. They played brilliantly. They had a lot of skill and a little bit of luck going their way," Gill concluded.

How will the draw hurt India's WTC Final chances?

India's drawn second Test against Sri Lanka has dented their hopes of qualifying for the WTC Final, as they missed out on a crucial eight points and collected only four from the match. India's PCT will therefore have risen only marginally, leaving them with less room for error in their remaining matches.

The draw also gives the teams around them, particularly Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, a greater opportunity to stay ahead in the race. With 2 Tests against New Zealand and five against Australia still remaining, Shubman Gill's men now need almost every win from every matches to secure maximum PCT for the WTC Final.

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