Sri Lankan all-rounder Sonal Dinusha etched his name into the annals of cricket history with a sensational, match-saving century against India on the final day of the second Test in Colombo. Facing enormous scoreboard pressure after being forced to follow on, Sri Lanka looked down and out at 218/6. However, Dinusha staged a magnificent rescue mission, anchoring the innings and rewriting the record books with a masterclass in resilience and temperament.
Entering an Elite Global Club
With his brilliant knock at the R Premadasa Stadium, the 25-year-old Dinusha became only the ninth player in cricket history—and the third Sri Lankan—to score three centuries in a two-match Test series. He joins an ultra-exclusive club previously illuminated by batting icons such as Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara.
The elite list of players to achieve three centuries in a two-match Test series includes:
Aravinda Silva (vs. Pakistan, 1997 & vs. India, 1997)
Jacques Kallis (vs. Pakistan, 2007)
Hashim Amla (vs. India, 2010)
Kumar Sangakkara (vs. Bangladesh, 2013)
Younis Khan (vs. Australia, 2014)
Marnus Labuschagne (vs. West Indies, 2022)
Kane Williamson (vs. South Africa, 2024)
Sonal Dinusha (vs. India, 2026)
Additionally, Dinusha joined the legendary company of Duleep Mendis and Aravinda de Silva as the only Sri Lankan cricketers to score centuries in both innings of a Test match against India.
How Sri Lanka Turned the Tide
India had initially dominated the fixture, posting a formidable first-innings total of 503 runs powered by centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel. After bundling out Sri Lanka for 290 and enforcing the follow-on, the Indian team management opted against an early declaration, setting their sights on a clean innings victory.
However, as the pitch flattened out and became significantly more conducive to batting on Days 4 and 5, the hosts mounted an extraordinary comeback. Following a stellar 92-run knock by Pasindu Sooriyabandara and a vital 55 from Kamindu Mendis, Dinusha took complete control. He combined grit with smart strokeplay, forging a crucial 112-run partnership with Keshara Nuwantha that completely drained the Indian bowling attack and safely guided Sri Lanka to a hard-fought draw.