Dinusha's Record-Breaking Century Secures Draw Against India
Sonal Dinusha's unbeaten 133, his second century of the match, secured a draw for Sri Lanka against India in Colombo. The 25-year-old shattered Joe Root's record for most sweep shots in a Test series with 176 runs.
Left-handed batter Sonal Dinusha, 25, etched his name into cricket history with an unbeaten 133, securing a hard-fought draw for Sri Lanka against India in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo. Dinusha’s monumental effort denied India a clean sweep in the two-match series, which they clinched 1-0 in Galle, and shattered England’s Joe Root’s record for most runs via sweep shots in a Test series.
This historic innings was Dinusha's second century of the match and third in just four innings. He amassed an astonishing 176 runs from sweep shots, surpassing Root's 168 from 2021, attempting 121 sweeps to Root's 113. As the series' leading run-scorer with 420 runs at 140.00, including three centuries, he became only the sixth batter to score three centuries at number six or lower, and the first Asian to score 50+ runs in each of his first four Tests against India.
Facing India's 503 for 9 declaration and an enforced follow-on, Dinusha anchored a defiant second innings. Resuming Day 5 at 229 for 6, he partnered Keshara Nuwantha (46) for a crucial 112-run seventh-wicket stand, frustrating Indian bowlers Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja (both three wickets). Dinusha guided Sri Lanka to 429 for 9, establishing a 216-run lead before a draw was agreed.
Player of the Match Dinusha expressed his joy, stating,
"When the team is down, I wanted to get runs for the team… Getting runs against India is a pleasure."BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla lauded him, remarking,
"This Sonal of Sri Lanka is an amazing player. Looking like Tendulkar."Indian captain Shubman Gill acknowledged Sri Lanka's fight:
"Their batters showed a lot of skill... The way they came back was tremendous to see."
The draw, while India secured the series 1-0, denied them a clean sweep and impacted their World Test Championship standing. This historic resistance for Sri Lanka, marking only the eighth time they led after following on, showcases Dinusha’s emergence as a major positive for their cricket.