Indian Test captain Shubman Gill recently defended his bowlers following a hard fought contest against Sri Lanka that prevented India from achieving a clean sweep in the two match series. Speaking after the second Test concluded in a draw on Thursday, August 27, the skipper refuted speculation that speedster Mohammed Siraj had been battling any physical ailments during the tour.
The defense followed a tense fifth day in Colombo where India struggled to break down the lower order of the opposition. Forced to follow on and facing a massive deficit with only four remaining wickets, the hosts stayed alive through a gritty performance from Sonal Dinusha. ‘There are no injury concerns for him. I felt his pace was a little less in this series, but he was playing after a couple of months. Throughout the competition, the young Indian batting order displayed encouraging signs through solid displays from players like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal. The captain made sure to highlight the collective effort put forth by his bowling unit as well. Upon collecting the Player of the Series award, Padikkal admitted the squad felt regret over missing out on the final victory. Even so, the left-hander expressed confidence that the two match encounter provided crucial lessons for the squad’s future development.
The left handed batter remained undefeated with 133 runs to his name as Sri Lanka pushed their second innings total to 429 for 9 across 154 overs, leading both team leaders to shake hands on a draw.
It takes time to come back,’ Gill said while speaking to the press.
