Dinusha's unbeaten 133 off 264 balls seals Sri Lanka's draw, India win series 1-0
Synopsis
Sonal Dinusha's marathon 133 not out off 264 balls — his third century of the series and second of the match — single-handedly saved Sri Lanka from defeat in the Colombo Test. His series tally of 419 runs at 139.66 places him alongside Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara in Sri Lankan batting lore, even as India claimed the series 1-0.
Key Takeaways
Sonal Dinusha scored an unbeaten 133 off 264 balls to help Sri Lanka draw the 2nd Test at SSC Ground, Colombo on 27 August .
Sri Lanka declared at 429/9 in 154 overs in their follow-on innings; India won the series 1-0 .
Dinusha became only the third Sri Lankan — after Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara — to score three centuries in a two-match Test series.
He also became the eighth Sri Lankan to register twin centuries in a single Test match.
Dinusha's series aggregate stood at 419 runs at an average of 139.66 , with four consecutive 50-plus scores against India.
Manav Suthar (3/105) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/94) were India's leading wicket-takers in the second innings.
Sonal Dinusha produced one of the great rearguard innings in recent Sri Lankan Test cricket, stroking a marathon unbeaten 133 off 264 balls to deny India a series sweep in the second Test at the SSC Ground, Colombo on Thursday, 27 August. Sri Lanka declared at 429/9 in 154 overs in their follow-on innings, forcing a draw that still handed India the two-match series 1-0.
How Sri Lanka Survived the Follow-On
Forced to bat again after posting 290 in their first innings — well short of India's imposing 503/9 declared — Sri Lanka began Day Five with a slender 16-run lead and four wickets in hand. What appeared a straightforward task for India quickly turned into a full-day grind. Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha added 100 unbroken runs in 31.2 overs during the morning session, walking back to a standing ovation from their dressing room.
India, opting for spread-out defensive fields without close-in catchers, allowed the pair to rotate strike freely and settle into an unhurried rhythm. Not a single Indian bowler managed to string together a consistently threatening spell, with the seamers repeatedly pitching away from the stumps.
Dinusha's Historic Knock
Dinusha's innings was a study in concentration and craft — laced with just two boundaries across its entire duration, yet punctuated by deft sweeps, clean off-side drives, and an increasingly adventurous use of the reverse sweep and paddle against Ravindra Jadeja and Saransh Jain. The knock registered his fourth consecutive 50-plus score of the series, placing him in an elite group of batters to achieve fifty or more in each of their first four Test innings against India.
When the final session began, Dinusha reached his second century of the match off the very first ball — clipping a full delivery from Mohammed Siraj into mid-wicket for two. It was his third hundred of the series, making him only the third Sri Lankan to score three centuries in a two-match Test series, after Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara. He also became the eighth Sri Lankan to hit twin centuries in a single Test.
By the close, Dinusha's series tally stood at 419 runs at an average of 139.66 — a number that belongs among the finest individual series performances in subcontinental Test cricket. The Sri Lankan dressing room gave him a standing ovation for the third time in the day; Indian players offered warm congratulations.
India's Frustrations and Key Moments
India's frustration surfaced in the 90th over when Siraj burned a DRS review on a caught-behind appeal against Nuwantha, only for replays to show the bat had struck the turf. In the final over before lunch, on-field umpire Ahsan Raza gave Nuwantha out LBW off Jadeja, but DRS confirmed the delivery was sliding down leg — Sri Lanka walked off the happier side at the interval.
The second session brought India their first breakthrough as Manav Suthar had Nuwantha caught at second slip, breaking a 112-run partnership. Jadeja then removed Prabath Jayasuriya for two with a slip catch. But Lahiru Kumara absorbed 56 deliveries in a stoic blockathon before eventually falling to Jadeja, caught brilliantly by Jaiswal at short leg, for 12 off 90 balls.
Siraj was restricted in his overs due to a physical niggle, and Jadeja also laboured through discomfort — both factors that blunted India's already-tired attack in the final session.
Tail-Enders Complete the Job
Dinusha found his last ally in Asitha Fernando, who faced 24 balls while remaining unbeaten on 0 — a cameo that was irreplaceable in the context of the draw. Dinusha himself accelerated late, launching both Jadeja and Shubman Gill over deep mid-wicket for sixes and striking successive boundaries off Jaiswal's leg-spin, adding 27 runs for the final wicket before Sri Lanka declared.
Series Result and Scoreboard
India won the two-match series 1-0, having taken the first Test. In the second Test: India 503/9 declared (138 overs) drew with Sri Lanka 290 and (follow-on) 429/9 declared (154 overs). For Sri Lanka, Dinusha finished 133 not out and Pasindu Sooriyabandara contributed 92. For India, Manav Suthar took 3/105 and Ravindra Jadeja claimed 3/94. Dinusha's name will linger long after the series result fades from memory.
Point of View
Which failed to dismiss him in two full innings across the series. The decision to deploy spread-out fields without close-in catchers on Day Five, when four wickets were needed, will attract scrutiny: it handed Dinusha and Nuwantha the freedom to settle and rotate strike. India still won the series, but the manner of this draw — a follow-on side saving the Test with their No. 8, 9, 10 and 11 all contributing — raises real questions about India's ability to close out Test matches when a pitch goes flat and a single batter refuses to yield.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Sonal Dinusha's score in the 2nd Test against India?
Sonal Dinusha scored an unbeaten 133 off 264 balls in Sri Lanka's second innings at SSC Ground, Colombo on 27 August. It was his third century of the two-match series and his second of the match.
What was the result of the India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test?
The 2nd Test at SSC Ground, Colombo ended in a draw on 27 August. India, who had already won the first Test, claimed the two-match series 1-0.
What records did Sonal Dinusha set in this series?
Dinusha became only the third Sri Lankan — after Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara — to score three centuries in a two-match Test series. He also became the eighth Sri Lankan to hit twin centuries in a single Test, and finished the series with 419 runs at an average of 139.66.
How did Sri Lanka avoid defeat after following on?
Sri Lanka, forced to follow on after scoring 290 against India's 503/9 declared, began the final day with a 16-run lead. Dinusha's unbeaten 133, supported by Keshara Nuwantha and stoic contributions from the lower order, carried them to 429/9 declared in 154 overs, making a result impossible.
Who were India's top bowlers in Sri Lanka's second innings?
Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja each took three wickets in Sri Lanka's second innings, finishing with figures of 3/105 and 3/94 respectively. India's attack was also hampered by a physical niggle to Mohammed Siraj in the final session.
