A draw as good as a win – SM reacts to #INDvSL 3rd Test

06/12/2017

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Sri Lanka secured a fighting draw in the 3^rd Test against India at Delhi after some excellent rearguard batting from Dhananjaya De Silva, Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella.

Sri Lanka came into the game after having suffered their heaviest defeat in Test cricket in the 2^nd Test match played in Nagpur last week, where they went down by an innings and 239 runs.

Having narrowly escaped a loss in the 1^st match at the Eden Gardens and going down by such a huge margin in the 2^nd Test, the odds were certainly stacked against the visitors in the 3^rd and final Test. The situation was further worsened when the bowlers, amidst some discomfort due to the severely poor air quality in Delhi, conceded a mammoth 536/5 in the 1^st innings, with Virat Kohli registering a double ton.

Dhananjaya and Roshen prove their worth in Sri Lankan colours

Dhananjaya De Silva and Roshen Silva battled hard amidst..

Sri Lanka’s difficulties with the conditions were not well received with fans and past players alike, but upon the conclusion of the game, Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal showed some class, thanking the spectators for their support and presence at the game and his words did not go unnoticed.

The Sri Lankans didn’t fold as expected in the 1^st innings as the team’s two best batsmen, Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, made splendid centuries against a quality bowling attack. Mathews’ return to form was no-doubt a welcome one for all Sri Lankan fans and skipper Chandimal was quick to point this out too at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Having been set a target of 407 with more than a day’s play remaining, the hosts were perhaps expecting a capitulation like the one they had seen in Kolkota. But it wasn’t to be as De Silva, Silva and Dickwella ensured that Sri Lanka ended the series on a high.

Both Dhananjaya De Silva and Roshen Silva were excellent in the middle and were praised by those on and off the field.