Former great slams India after Colombo draw, warns Australia could pose major threat at home

Former great slams India after Colombo draw, warns Australia could pose major threat at home

India ’s World Test Championship ( WTC ) qualification hopes have suffered a setback after the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo ended in a draw. India appeared to be in a strong position to secure a series sweep, but failed to complete the job on the final day. Needing four wickets to seal victory after Sri Lanka resumed their second innings with six wickets down, India could manage only two dismissals. Sonal Dinusha then stood firm, scoring an unbeaten 133 to lead Sri Lanka’s resistance and deny India a win. The result meant India finished the series with a 1-0 victory instead of the expected 2-0 sweep. The dropped opportunity has left India fifth in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka one place below them. With only seven Tests remaining in the current cycle, India now have very little room for further mistakes and may need to win at least six matches to keep their qualification hopes firmly in their own hands. Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes the Colombo result could prove costly. He said India may now have to rely on results elsewhere even if they manage to win five or six of their remaining seven Tests. Srikkanth also cautioned India against taking their upcoming home series against Australia for granted. He questioned whether India could achieve a 5-0 result and warned that preparing overly spin-friendly pitches could backfire. Also Read: Australia’s Mackay win keeps WTC race open for India “If India prepares rank turners against Australia, there is every possibility that Australia could beat India as well,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel. The former cricketer was particularly critical of India’s inability to finish the Colombo Test. He praised Dinusha for his determined batting but felt India lacked the services of a bowler capable of delivering the decisive breakthroughs. “India messed up big time,” Srikkanth said, adding that a bowler of Jasprit Bumrah’s quality could have made the difference in closing out the match. Dinusha was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, following his first-innings century with another unbeaten hundred in the second innings. His ability to build partnerships with the lower-order batters frustrated India and helped Sri Lanka escape from a precarious position after being forced to follow on. While rain also played a part in reducing India’s chances, Srikkanth maintained that India had enough opportunities to win the Test and should have secured victory.