Gautam Gambhir watches as KL Rahul slams Indian teammates. Image Credits: X
Sri Lanka produced a remarkable fightback against India on Day 5 of the ongoing second Test in Colombo. Sonal Dinusha is leading from the front with the bat and has no doubt become the biggest threat to the Shubman Gill-led Team India.
The frustration in the Indian camp was clearly visible with focus on KL Rahul and Gautam Gambhir.
India had declared their first innings at 503/9 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 290, taking a huge 213-run lead. After enforcing the follow-on, India looked set for a straightforward win, but the hosts refused to give up.
Sri Lanka's lower order continued to survive, and frustration became visible in the Indian camp. KL Rahul was seen giving his teammates an animated pep talk, trying to lift the team's morale.
The camera also showed India head coach Gautam Gambhir looking helpless in the dugout as the Indian bowlers struggled to finish the job.
Sonal Dinusha Leds From The front; Frustrates Indian Team
Sri Lanka reached 329/6 at lunch, extending their overall lead to 116 runs. The hosts had been in serious trouble after India quickly removed top-order batters Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara.
However, Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 92 runs off 173 balls, and Kamindu Mendis also made a valuable contribution of 55 runs off 92 balls. But the main highlight of the match was made by the Sri Lanka’s lower order.
Sonal Dinusha continued to hold the innings together alongside Keshara Nuwantha. The duo together made 112 (246) and made things difficult for the Indian team.
KL Rahul, Gautam Gambhir Left Frustrated
The frustration was clearly visible, at one point, KL Rahul was seen giving a long pep talk to the players, and the helplessness was also evident on Gautam Gambhir's face in the Indian dugout.
It is also important to note that Dinusha’s performance has also created a rare record. He became only the second batter to score 80 or more in each of his first four Test innings against India, joining West Indies great Everton Weekes, who achieved the feat in 1948.
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Watch KL Rahul's Pep Talk Video Here:
India's decision to enforce the follow on backfires
The Indian team bowled out Sri Lanka for 290 runs in the 1st innings after having scored 503 runs in the 1st innings themselves. When Morne Morkel came to the press conference after Day 3 play, he stated that India would like to enforce the follow on.
Sri Lanka were 39 runs away when Morkel sat in front of the press and announced India's plans. When Sri Lanka were dismissed for 290, they were just 14 runs away from avoiding the follow on. In hindsight, questions have started to appear whether it was the right decision.
Although, weather forecast for Day 4 and Day 5 could have been a large factor behind the decision, as suggested by Morkel, the conditions only kept getting better to bat on as the days progressed.
The fact that Sri Lanka's scoring rate in the 2nd innings has been lower (2.84 runs per over until 138 overs) than their 1st innings scoring rate (3.26 runs per over in 89.4 overs), showed that if batters applied well, there was enough support in the surface.
Historically, India have enforced the follow on only 5 times since the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) began in 2019. This will be the 1st ever instance of India failing to win a game in the WTC despite enforcing the follow on.
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