India’s Prasidh Krishna (C) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis during the third day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on August 25, 2026. Photo: AFP
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Tuesday were fighting hard to avoid follow-on when rain brought an early end to play on day three of the second Test against India at the Sinhalese Sports Cub Ground.
Sri Lanka reached 265-8 in their first innings in response to India’s total of 503-9 declared.
Sri Lanka still needed 39 to avoid being asked to bat again.
Only 80.4 of the 98 overs scheduled for the day could be bowled due to wet conditions.
Wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella was dismissed for a third-ball duck, reducing Sri Lanka to 173-7.
However, Sonal Dinusha added 57 runs for the eighth wicket partnership with Keshara Nuwantha (18) to frustrate the tourists.
Dinusha was unbeaten on 85, which followed his scores of 100 and 84 in the opening Test in Galle, which India won comprehensively to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Nuwantha was dismissed soon after tea but Dinusha found another able ally in fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, who batted for more than an hour as the pair added another 35 runs for the ninth wicket association.
Dinusha, Sri Lanka’s standout performer in the first Test, continued to impress.
The all-rounder, who scored 100 and 84 last week in Galle, ended the day on 85 not out.
Sri Lanka, who resumed with their overnight score of 8-2, lost two wickets in the morning session before India made further inroads after lunch, picking up three more wickets.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who replaced Dinesh Chandimal as a concussion substitute in the second innings of the Galle Test and featured in the starting eleven for the first time, was the next-best Sri Lankan batsman with 80 off 133 balls which carried nine fours.
India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had Niroshan Dickwella caught down the leg side for nought, while Suthar (3-83) removed Keshara Nuwantha for 18 to keep the pressure on Sri Lanka.
India lead the two-match series 1-0, having won the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs.
Scores in brief
2nd Test: India 503-9 declared, 138 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115 not out, Rishabh Pant †63; Asitha Fernando 4-106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2-132, Keshara Nuwantha 2-154)
Sri Lanka 265-8, 83.4 overs (Sonal Dinusha 85 not out, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80, Kamindu Mendis 32; Prasidh Krishna 3-47, Manav Suthar 3-83)
Day 1: India 1st innings 300-5 (Dhruv Jurel 7*, Saransh Jain 4*, 85 ov)
Day 2: Sri Lanka 1st innings 8-2 (Kamil Mishara 5*, 3 ov)
Day 3 – Sri Lanka 1st innings 265-8 (Sonal Dinusha 85*, Lahiru Kumara 8*, 83.4 ov)
Toss: India, elected to bat first
Umpire: Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula