India leaves Colombo with points lost as Sri Lanka gains in confidence

By K.R. Nayar 

The Colombo Test ending in a draw has made India’s path to the World Test Championship final tough. Sri Lanka, by securing a hard-fought draw, have boosted their morale. In fact, India walked away frustrated; Sri Lanka walked away rejuvenated.

Sri Lanka’s twenty-five-year-old left-handed Sonal Dinusha, with knocks of 103 and an unbeaten 133 in the second Test, following his knocks of 100 and 84 in the first Test, has announced that he has the potential to become a superstar. Was Dinusha and 26-year-old Pasindu Sooriyabandara, with knocks of 80 and 92, the only reason behind India being unable to record a clean sweep? Their resistance certainly exposed India’s inability to finish the job.

When young batsmen refuse to surrender, even the strongest bowling attack can begin to look ordinary. Sri Lanka now have every reason to believe that their emerging generation can stand up against one of the stronger Test sides in the world.

Gary Kirsten, who took over as Sri Lanka head coach in April, may transform these youngsters and the team into a strong unit. The team needed a coach like him to boost their confidence during this transitional phase. Kirsten, who led India to a World Cup triumph, knows what is needed to make a squad disciplined and a confident unit. This draw from the brink of defeat may be just the beginning. To beat top teams, a coach must be able to make the players believe that they, too, belong at the highest level.

With seven Tests remaining in this WTC cycle (two away against New Zealand and five at home against Australia), India must now win at least five to six matches to keep their qualification hopes realistic. Devdutt Padikkal’s form is encouraging. He was the Player of the Series against Sri Lanka. However, despite the rise of left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who took 16 wickets in this two-Test series, the Indian bowling attack seems to lack the sting.

The fact that the Sri Lankan batters could frustrate the bowlers despite India enforcing the follow-on is proof that the bowling attack was not able to unsettle the determined batters. A world-class Test team cannot afford to have a bowling attack that allows batters to feel comfortable.

To be the world’s best Test team, all departments of the game should be strong and striking. In the coming series against New Zealand and Australia, both teams will have experienced and established batters, and not rising stars like in Sri Lanka. India, as a Test team, is currently in fifth place on the table, trailing fourth-placed Bangladesh, with the top three being Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The argument that the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) pitch flattened out on the fourth and fifth days and lost its early bite should not become an excuse. Great bowling attacks are expected to find ways to create pressure when the surface becomes easier for batting and when conditions are not helpful.

Another reason India could not bowl out Sri Lanka in the second innings could be that consecutive days of bowling after enforcing the follow-on resulted in fatigue, which may have robbed the bowlers of the sharpness required to deliver the final blows. The follow-on thus became a test of India’s own endurance.

Had periodic rain interruptions and fading light at crucial stages of the match not broken India’s rhythm, India could have ensured a win. Unfortunately, a lot of time was eaten away while India were pushing for a win.

The Colombo Test has delivered two different messages. For India, it is a call to strengthen many more areas. For Sri Lanka, it was a wake-up call. India lost a valuable chance to strengthen their WTC campaign, while Sri Lanka discovered something equally precious - the belief that they can compete. India have left Colombo with points lost, but Sri Lanka have gained in confidence.