Despite India winning the Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0, the fifth day of the match in Colombo proved to be more of a mirror than a triumph for the Indian side. The lower order of the Sri Lankan squad, which Indian spinners expected to dismiss, managed to withstand the Indian bowlers for nearly two days.
As a result, the match ended in a draw, once again highlighting an old weakness of India. The fact that four lower-order batsmen from Sri Lanka were not dismissed on a spin-friendly pitch raises serious questions about the Indian bowling.
In traditional Test cricket, a strong attack from the main part of the team is often compensated by the Indian bowlers successfully dismissing the lower order players. However, this usual pattern was absent in Colombo.
India had options to utilize spin, and the conditions were in its favor, with the lower order of Sri Lanka facing them. Nevertheless, wickets did not fall. This does not mean that Indian spinners suddenly became poor players, but it indicates that the sharpness capable of turning pressure into wickets has weakened somewhere.
When playing against tail-enders, it is not enough just to bowl good balls; constant pressure, aggressive field placements, and the drive to provoke a batsman's error are required. In Colombo, India created opportunities but could not deliver the decisive blow.
It brought to mind the tradition associated with players like Kumbala, Bedi, and Prasanna. In the past, tail-enders often became the easiest prey against bowlers like Subhash Gupta, Irapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, and later Anil Kumble.
A characteristic of their game was an unwavering hunger: they never considered the opponent's last batsman a 'formality', regardless of whether he was number one or eleven.
Credit must be given here to Sri Lankan batting. Their fight, despite constant pressure, follow-on, and the challenge of the fifth day, is an example of the character of Test cricket. Sonal Dinusha's ability to withstand the Indian bowlers with such patience and courage took the match out of India's control.
However, it is easy for India to accept this result simply as 'Sri Lanka's bravery'. The question is: if four tail-enders could not be dismissed even in spin-friendly conditions, what will happen in foreign conditions?
India has valid arguments for defense. The bowlers played for two sessions. The pitch on the fifth day likely looked different from the start of the match. Furthermore, the Sri Lankan batsmen played extremely defensively and patiently.
But that is what Test cricket is... Great bowling units find a way, regardless of fatigue, pitch condition, or circumstances. It is this 'killing instinct' that distinguishes a great bowling unit from a good one.
Although India created pressure in Colombo, it could not deliver the decisive blow to end the match.
The series is won, but the question remains open. The draw in Colombo serves as a reminder that dismissing the lower order can still be a weakness in Test cricket.
Today it is Sri Lanka; tomorrow there will be another team with stronger batting. If four batsmen remain on the field as long as they did, the result might turn out to be not just a draw, but a lost Test.
Thus, the story of Colombo is not just about Sri Lanka's 'great escape'. Although the tail-enders batted, the real question pertains to the Indian spinners: when will their spin gain enough strength for the presence of batsmen numbers 8, 9, 10, and 11 on the field to become a punishment?