Tense drama unfolded during the final moments of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka. A verbal altercation occurred between Sri Lankan players and the umpires regarding insufficient field lighting. In the tense atmosphere, Sri Lanka lost two wickets in just three overs.
Prabhat Jayasuriya, who came out as the night watchman, drew the most attention. After being dismissed, Jayasuriya expressed strong dissatisfaction with the umpire's decision and hit the barrier with his bat before leaving the field. His anger did not subside in the dressing room, where he threw his gloves.
Sri Lanka concluded the second day of play having lost the player Lahiru Udara, and subsequently brought in Prabhat Jayasuriya as the night watchman instead of another experienced batsman. Jayasuriya's task was to preserve the wicket until the end of the day and prevent another batsman from coming onto the field. However, this plan was unsuccessful.
Manav Sutera took Prabhat Jayasuriya's wicket with a powerful shot. Jayasuriya requested a video review against the field umpire's decision, but the review did not confirm his correctness. He scored only 2 runs off 7 balls and was sent to the dressing room.
After the review was rejected, Jayasuriya appeared visibly upset. As he left the field, he hit the barrier with his bat, and in the dressing room, he continued to show his indignation by throwing his gloves. The team's concern stemmed from their dissatisfaction with the umpires' decisions regarding poor lighting; the players felt the light was inadequate for play and that the match should be stopped, but the umpires decided to continue. It was during this period that Sri Lanka lost two wickets.
By the end of the day, only three overs had been played, and Sri Lanka had lost two players, scoring only 8 runs. Now, the Sri Lankan team will trail the opponent by 495 runs on the third day of the match. India had previously declared its innings, scoring 503 runs, after Indian captain Shubman Gill decided to end the game by reaching the 500-run mark. Another Indian player, Dhruv Jurel, remained on the field with 115 runs, undismissed. This marked the first century for India's number seven player in a Test match on Sri Lankan soil.
In terms of bowling, Jayasuriya also performed poorly, conceding 132 runs in 42 overs and taking 2 wickets. He managed to handle Manav and Siraj. Nevertheless, when tasked with the role of night watchman, he could not stay on the field for long.
Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay criticized the Sri Lankan players for arguing with the umpires over the lighting. According to Manjarekara, the dissatisfaction with the umpires' decisions negatively affected the batsmen's concentration, leading to the quick loss of two wickets.