India strengthened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka after Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten century and Rishabh Pant’s aggressive half-century helped the visitors post a massive 503/9 declared in Colombo. India then made the most of the limited time available before stumps, removing two Sri Lankan batters to leave the hosts at 8/2 at the end of Day 2.
Jurel was the standout performer for India, producing a calm and determined 115 not out from 177 balls. His innings included nine fours and two sixes and marked his second Test century. More importantly, it was his first hundred outside India, making the performance a significant milestone in the 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter’s career.
The day began with India resuming their first innings at 300/5. Sri Lanka needed early wickets to prevent India from building a commanding total, and Asitha Fernando provided the first breakthrough by dismissing debutant Saransh Jain for six.
However, Sri Lanka’s hopes of a collapse quickly faded when Jurel was joined by Pant. The two wicketkeeper-batters combined contrasting styles to put India firmly in control. Jurel remained patient and focused on building a long innings, while Pant attacked the bowling and kept the scoreboard moving.
The partnership became the turning point of the morning session. Jurel and Pant added 112 runs for the seventh wicket, taking India from 307/6 to 419/6. Jurel reached his half-century from 97 balls, while Pant continued to put pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers with aggressive strokes.
Pant eventually fell for 63 from 89 deliveries. His innings contained six fours and two sixes and once again showed his ability to change the momentum of a Test match quickly. He became the first Indian to cross 2,900 runs in World Test Championship history, moving ahead of Shubman Gill in the list. Pant now has 2,948 WTC runs, compared with Gill’s 2,917.
His dismissal, however, did little to slow India down. Jurel continued to anchor the innings and found another useful partner in Manav Suthar. The pair added 54 runs for the eighth wicket before Suthar was dismissed for 18.
Jurel’s journey to three figures was particularly dramatic. He reached 95 before heavy rain interrupted play and forced an early tea. When the match resumed, he moved to 99 but then remained on that score for an extended period as Sri Lanka tightened the pressure.
After being stuck on 99, Jurel finally pushed the ball towards mid-off and set off for a risky single. Sri Lanka had an opportunity to run him out, but the direct hit missed and Jurel made his ground. The run gave him his second Test century and sparked celebrations in the Indian dressing room. He completed the landmark from 171 balls.
Jurel eventually finished unbeaten on 115. His innings was particularly valuable because India had lost wickets at regular intervals but had managed to keep adding runs. His ability to remain at the crease allowed captain Shubman Gill to declare at 503/9 and give the bowlers a short window to attack Sri Lanka before the close.
The century also placed Jurel in a select group of Indian batters. He became only the second Indian to score a Test century in Sri Lanka while batting at No. 7 or lower, joining Hardik Pandya, who scored 108 at Pallekele in 2017.
Jurel’s contribution has also given him a major boost in the series. He arrived in Sri Lanka without a Test fifty in his previous eight innings and was under pressure to establish himself in India’s middle order. After scoring 51 in the first Test, his unbeaten 115 in Colombo has taken his series tally to 173 runs from two matches at an average of 86.50.
India’s decision to declare at 503/9 was aimed at giving their bowlers an opportunity to take wickets before bad light stopped play. The strategy worked almost immediately.
Prasidh Krishna dismissed Lahiru Udara for one, with Yashasvi Jaiswal producing an excellent diving catch at gully to complete the dismissal. India then brought Manav Suthar into the attack as the fading light restricted the use of the faster bowlers.
Suthar responded by dismissing Sri Lanka’s nightwatchman Prabath Jayasuriya for two. The left-arm spinner trapped Jayasuriya leg before wicket with a delivery that came into the batter. Jayasuriya reviewed the decision, but ball-tracking showed that the ball was clipping the leg stump and the original decision stood.
Sri Lanka finished the day at 8/2, with debutant Kamil Mishara unbeaten on five. The hosts were therefore 495 runs behind India, with eight wickets remaining in their first innings.
The Indian bowling attack had only a few overs to work with after the declaration because rain and fading light repeatedly interrupted play. Yet Prasidh Krishna and Suthar made those overs count. India also showed good awareness by adjusting their bowling plans according to the difficult conditions in Colombo.
Sri Lanka must first survive India’s bowling attack and then find a way to reduce a deficit of nearly 500 runs. With two wickets already down, the pressure will be firmly on their top order when play resumes.
Their bowlers also face questions after India reached 503 despite losing five wickets by the start of Day 2. Asitha Fernando was their most successful bowler, finishing with 4/106, but India’s lower order managed to add crucial runs after the initial breakthroughs.
India are already leading the two-match Test series 1-0 after winning the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs. The strong showing in Colombo now puts them in an excellent position to complete a series sweep.
The second Test is also part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, adding further importance to the result. India have used the first two days effectively, combining solid batting with timely bowling to put Sri Lanka under severe pressure.
