Colombo, Aug 27 (IANS) India captain Shubman Gill insisted his team gave everything it had on the field and expressed no regrets over his tactical decisions after Sri Lanka mounted a heroic rearguard effort to secure a draw in the second and final Test at the SSC Ground on Thursday.
India needed to take out four wickets quickly and chase a small total to get a 2-0 series win. But they were left frustrated by a marathon unbeaten 133 from Sonal Dinusha, as the hosts comfortably kept India at bay on a docile day-five pitch.
“Honestly, nothing (could have been done differently). You field for so many overs over three days; we did everything we could, but they played really well. Their batters showed a lot of skill and had a little bit of luck as well,” Gill said at the conclusion of the game, as India got a 1-0 series win.
Addressing questions regarding his decision to enforce the follow-on, Gill noted that match decisions are made in the moment and cannot be judged through hindsight. “In hindsight you can think (about the follow-on), but you can only talk about these things in hindsight. You take the best decision you can in the moment, and something doesn’t go your way. But it was a brilliant game, and I think Test cricket won today.”
Despite being denied a 2-0 series sweep, Gill pointed to several positive takeaways for his side. “I think there are a lot of positives for us. Also, learning from the opposition. They were under a lot of pressure, and the way they came back was tremendous. A lot of positives for us. Devdutt was brilliant, Manav was really good, and so was KL. Fast bowlers also did everything they could. Very exciting times for us.”
Left-arm spinner Suthar finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 16 scalps, and earned high praise from Gill. “Everything impressed me about him. How consistent he is, how he releases the ball, and how it goes off his wrist and fingers. Very pleasing bowler to watch. He’s going to be a very crucial bowler for us.”
Looking ahead to India’s upcoming international assignments, Gill signed off by talking about the importance of maintaining high preparation standards as they target a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
“It’s important for us to be consistent on and off the field with our preparation and performance and how we go about things. Yes, we are going to New Zealand, so that’ll be a good series for us and then a good home season. We’ll keep believing, and hopefully we’ll make it to the WTC final.”
–IANS
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