IND vs SL: India sight series sweep as Sri Lanka left reeling at 229/6 after follow-on on rain-interrupted Day 4

India moved within touching distance of a 2-0 series whitewash after putting Sri Lanka through a grueling Day 4 in Colombo. After bowling out the hosts for 290 in reply to India's mammoth 503, the visitors promptly enforced the follow-on, reducing Sri Lanka to a precarious 229/6 by the close of Day 4. Sri Lanka have taken a slender 16-run lead with Sonal Dinusha (7*) and Keshara Nuwantha (3*) intact on the crease.

India close in on Colombo triumph

The home side offered some resistance through Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who anchored the innings with a valiant 92 before falling just short of a hundred, alongside a stubborn half-century from Kamindu Mendis. However, left-arm spinner Manav Suthar ensured India stayed on top, snaring 2/81 to trigger key breakthroughs. Although a heavy downpour brought an early end to the final session, India remain in complete command, needing just four wickets to wrap up the match and the series.

Heading into the final day, India will look to swiftly wipe out Sri Lanka's tail and seal a dominant series victory. The visitors' charge had earlier been temporarily checked by a resilient 115-run partnership between Pasindu Sooriyabandara (92) and Kamindu Mendis (55). Coming together with the hosts reeling at 63/2 in their second innings, the pair held the Indian attack at bay for nearly two hours to erase the heavy 213-run deficit. Their defiance ensured the Test stretched into day five, offering a far braver display than Sri Lanka's first-innings collapse to 290, a total built almost entirely around Sonal Dinusha’s second century of the series (103) that fell just short of avoiding the follow-on.

Far from simply block-defending, Sooriyabandara and Mendis countered with remarkable fluency after the early dismissals of openers Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara. Taking direct aim at Indian spinner Manav Suthar, Mendis launched him for two towering sixes to disrupt his rhythm, while Sooriyabandara added a slog-swept maximum of his own to rattle the young bowler for the first time in the series. Mendis completed his half-century in just 87 balls by pulling Prasidh Krishna over the ropes, with Sooriyabandara following suit off 78 deliveries.

The dangerous stand finally came to an end courtesy of Prasidh, who produced a sharp short ball that tied up Mendis. A sprinting Shubman Gill swallowed the chance to send Mendis back, breaking Sri Lanka's key alliance and restoring India's iron grip on the contest.

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Manav Suthar shines again

At tea, Sri Lanka sat in a relatively stable position at 199/3, needing just 14 runs to erase their innings deficit. However, the evening session drastically shifted momentum back in India's favor as the visitors struck three times in quick succession. Dhananjaya de Silva was the first to fall, edging Manav Suthar onto his pad before Devdutt Padikkal snapped up the catch in the slip cordon. Soon after, Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s composed march toward a maiden Test century ended in heartbreak through a lapse in judgment. Charging Suthar, the batter was outmaneuvered when the spinner fired the ball wide, allowing Rishabh Pant a simple stumping. Saransh Jain then capitalized on the turning pitch to trap Niroshan Dickwella leg-before, reducing the hosts to 218/6.

India aimed to clear the remaining tail before stumps, but heavy rain brought an early end to the day's play. Earlier in the morning, Sri Lanka had celebrated a bright moment when overnight batter Sonal Dinusha completed his century. Resuming on 85, Dinusha attacked Jain with a six and a boundary before reaching three figures in emphatic style with a crisp pull shot off Prasidh Krishna. Despite his milestone, the effort was insufficient to spare Sri Lanka from the follow-on.

Meanwhile, India faced a brief injury scare when Mohammed Siraj hurt himself while diving to attempt a catch. The fast bowler temporarily left the field for treatment before returning to action, though he subsequently operated off a shortened run-up with Pant—who resumed keeping after taking day three off—standing up to the stumps for his deliveries.