Sonal Dinusha scored his third straight 50-plus score•Aug 25, 2026•
Sri Lanka’s batting once again exposed its alarming fragility against India, with only Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Sonal Dinusha providing the resistance needed to prevent another embarrassing collapse in the second Test at the SSC in Colombo.
Chasing India’s imposing 503 for 9 declared, Sri Lanka ended the third day on 265 for 8 from 83.4 overs, still trailing by 238 runs. The scoreboard may suggest a respectable fightback, but the manner in which Sri Lanka lost wickets for most of the innings highlighted the enormous gulf between the two sides.
The innings began disastrously. Lahiru Udara fell for 1, and Prabath Jayasuriya was dismissed for 2, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 8 for 2.
Kamil Mishara offered brief hope with 19 before departing with the score on 35. It was then that Sooriyabandara produced the innings Sri Lanka desperately needed.
Coming into the side for the injured Dinesh Chandimal, Sooriyabandara showed composure well beyond his experience. He struck 80 off 133 balls, including nine fours, and became the first Sri Lankan batter to provide sustained resistance.
His partnership with Kamindu Mendis was particularly important. The pair added 87 runs for the fourth wicket, taking Sri Lanka from 35 for 3 to 122 before Mendis fell for a valuable 32 off 58 balls.
Dhananjaya de Silva followed for just 8, leaving Sri Lanka at 137 for 5 and once again staring at a familiar collapse.
Sooriyabandara finally fell at 171, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for 80. His dismissal was a major blow, but by then he had at least given Sri Lanka a platform.
The responsibility then shifted to Sonal Dinusha.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara got his maiden fifty in only his second Test•Aug 25, 2026
Having already scored a century in the first Test at Galle and followed it with an unbeaten 52 in the second Test, Dinusha once again demonstrated that he is becoming one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable Test batters.
He remained unbeaten on 85 off 137 balls, striking six fours and two sixes. More importantly, he batted through the latter part of the innings while wickets continued to fall around him.
Niroshan Dickwella made a forgettable return to Test cricket, departing for a duck, while Keshara Nuwantha struggled to 18 from 74 balls. Lahiru Kumara was unbeaten on 8, helping Dinusha take Sri Lanka to 265 for 8 at stumps.
India’s bowling attack was relentless. Prasidh Krishna took 3 for 47, while debutant Manav Suthar also claimed 3 for 83. Ravindra Jadeja took 1 for 45 and Mohammed Siraj 1 for 33.
Sri Lanka’s predicament is made worse by India’s first-innings total. Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 115, while Devdutt Padikkal made 117, Rishabh Pant scored 63, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 45 and Ravindra Jadeja 43.
India’s 503 for 9 declared has left Sri Lanka with a mountain to climb.
The stark reality is that, once again, two young batters have had to rescue a batting line-up that should have possessed considerably greater experience and depth.
Sooriyabandara’s 80 and Dinusha’s unbeaten 85 have given Sri Lanka a fighting chance, but they cannot continually be expected to repair the damage caused by a top order that repeatedly fails to deliver.
At 265 for 8, Sri Lanka remain 238 runs behind India. The deficit is enormous, and unless Dinusha can produce something extraordinary on the fourth morning, India remain firmly in command.
Chief Scores — Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test, SSC
India 1st innings: 503/9 declared
- Dhruv Jurel – 115 (177)*
- Devdutt Padikkal – 117 (193)
- Rishabh Pant – 63 (89)
- Shubman Gill – 50 (108)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – 45 (53)
- Ravindra Jadeja – 43 (83)
Sri Lanka bowling
- Asitha Fernando – 4/106
- Prabath Jayasuriya – 2/132
- Keshara Nuwantha – 2/154
- Lahiru Kumara – 1/68
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 265/8 (83.4 overs)
- Pasindu Sooriyabandara – 80 (133)
- Sonal Dinusha – 85 (137)*
- Kamindu Mendis – 32 (58)
- Kamil Mishara – 19 (25)
- Keshara Nuwantha – 18 (74)
India bowling
- Prasidh Krishna – 3/47
- Manav Suthar – 3/83
- Ravindra Jadeja – 1/45
- Mohammed Siraj – 1/33
