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‘Test Cricket Won Today’: Shubman Gill Lauds ‘Brilliant Game’ After Sri Lanka Deny India Clean Sweep
India captain Shubman Gill says the team did everything they could for a win in Colombo.
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The second Test between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw with Sonal Dinusha peeling off another century in what turned out to be a memorable contest for the young batter. India had the upper hand for the majority of the match in Colombo and prior to the start of play on Day 5, were the favourites with Sri Lanka leading by just 16 runs after losing six wickets in their second innings when asked to follow-on.
A stunning rearguard action with Dinusha at the centre of it frustrated India as Sri Lanka eventually declared at 429/9 with a lead of 216, following which the two teams shook hands for a draw on Thursday.
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India captain Shubman Gill says that the team took the decision to enforce the follow-on with an eye on the weather but felt that it was a brilliant game of cricket.
“We fielded for about 150 overs; we did everything that we can,” Gill said during the post-match presentation. “I don’t think we could have done anything differently. Keeping the weather in mind, we could talk about these things (follow-on) only in hindsight. You take the best decision you can in the moment, and something didn’t go our way. But it was a brilliant game and I think Test cricket won today.”
The draw did dent India’s chances of moving up the ICC World Test Championship points table as the four points they were awarded due to the draw kept them static at no.5. The top-two teams at the end of the ongoing WTC cycle will qualify for the final next year.
For India, Gill says, the tour was a fruitful affair given how the likes of Devdutt Padikkal (328 runs from 3 innings) and Manav Suthar (16 wickets from 2 Tests) performed.
“A lot of positives for us, even learning from the opposition. I think the position that they were under, under immense pressure, and the way they came back was tremendous to see. It sort of tells us, and we were talking in lunch and at teatime, that I don’t think that we could have done (anything) differently,” Gill said.
“But in the series, a lot of positives for us. Padikkal was brilliant, KL was really good, Manav bowled brilliantly, and Prasidh in both the innings, bent their back, both the fast bowlers. So I think we did everything we can,” he added.
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Ask News18The draw against Sri Lanka has made India’s path to the World Test Championship final more difficult. India’s winning percentage dropped to 51.52%, and they remain in fifth place in the WTC table. To have a realistic chance of qualifying, India needs to win both Tests in New Zealand and all five home Tests against Australia. Even winning six out of seven remaining matches might not be enough, as it would leave them dependent on other teams’ results.
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Original source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/
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