Sri Lanka's Dinusha Scores Historic Century in Test Draw Bid

Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha scored a historic century on the fifth and final day of the second Test against India in Colombo, leading a resilient fightback that pushed the hosts to the brink of a draw. Dinusha’s unbeaten knock, combined with stubborn resistance from the lower order, helped Sri Lanka extend their lead to 170 runs by the tea break on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after being forced to follow on.

The match, which began with India in a dominant position, turned into a tense battle as Sri Lanka’s batters defied the Indian attack. India had declared their first innings at 503 for 9, built on centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 290 in reply, a total featuring Dinusha’s first-innings century, and were made to follow on. They began their second innings poorly but staged a recovery, reaching 229 for 6 at stumps on the fourth day, trailing by just 16 runs after rain and bad light ended play early.

On the final day, Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha resumed their partnership and batted with great determination. They added 112 runs for the seventh wicket, consuming 174 minutes and 246 balls, to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Dinusha reached...