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As Sri Lanka staged a remarkable fightback to force a draw against India in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Thursday, Indian skipper Shubman Gill said his side had done everything possible to secure victory, while praising the hosts for their "brilliant" batting effort under pressure. Sri Lanka staged a remarkable fightback to hold India to a draw in the second Test, with Sonal Dinusha anchoring the resistance with a magnificent unbeaten 133.
However, India takes the series 1-0 after winning the first Test by 165 runs. India, who had enforced the follow-on after taking a 213-run first-innings lead, were unable to bowl Sri Lanka out for a second time as the hosts finished on 429/9 in 154 overs. "Honestly, nothing. I mean, we fielded for about 250 overs, three days consecutively, and we did everything we can. They played brilliantly. I think the batters played really well, and they had a lot of skill and a little bit of luck going their way. So I don't think we could have done anything differently," Gill said after the match. He lauded Sri Lanka's comeback under pressure, saying it offered valuable lessons for his side. "A lot of positives for us, even learning from the opposition. I think the position that they were under, under immense pressure, and the way they came back was tremendous to see. It sort of tells us, and we were talking at lunch and at tea time, that I don't think that we could have done (anything) differently," he added. Indian skipper Gill, reflecting on India's 1-0 series victory, highlighted several positives, praising Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Manav Suthar and Prasidh Krishna for their contributions. "But in the series, a lot of positives for us. Padikkal was brilliant, KL was really good, Manav bowled brilliantly, and Prasidh, in both innings, bent their back; both the fast bowlers. So I think we did everything we can," Gill said. Gill also stressed the importance of maintaining consistency in preparation, performances and their approach both on and off the field. "Very excited. I think really exciting times for us. Very important for us to be consistent on and off the field, with our preparation and the way that we perform and how we go about our things. And I think so far there have been a lot of positives for us," Gill concluded. (ANI)
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