Colombo : Sonal Dinusha stood tall for Sri Lanka and scored a defiant century to keep India at bay on Day 5 of the second Test in Colombo.
Dinusha was unbeaten on 98 at tea and did not have to wait long to complete his century. On the first ball of the third and final session, he flicked Mohammed Siraj towards mid-wicket for a couple of runs to reach the landmark.
It was another brilliant innings from the Sri Lankan batter, who continued his sublime run in the two-match Test series against India.
Dinusha had already scored a century in the first Test in Galle, where Sri Lanka suffered a 165-run defeat. He continued his fine form in the second Test, scoring 103 runs in the first innings. With Sri Lanka under pressure to save the Test and avoid a 2-0 series whitewash, Dinusha once again rose to the occasion and scored another hundred.
His latest century gave him three hundreds in the two-match series. He became only the third Sri Lankan batter to score three centuries in a two-match Test series.
He also joined an elite group of batters who have scored three hundreds in a two-Test series. Dinusha is now one of nine players to achieve the feat.
Overall, Dinusha became the 12th batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test against India. More importantly, he is only the second batter to achieve the feat against India since January 2015. The previous batter to do so was England’s Jonny Bairstow, who scored 106 and an unbeaten 114 against India at Edgbaston in 2022.
Dinusha’s 103 in the first innings and unbeaten 100 in the second innings have now put him in that elite group. Third Sri Lankan to achieve the feat against India
Dinusha also became only the third Sri Lankan batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test against India. Duleep Mendis was the first Sri Lankan to do it, scoring 105 in both innings against India in Chennai in 1982. Aravinda de Silva was the second. He scored 146 and 120 at the Colombo SSC against India in 1997.
Now, Dinusha has become the third Sri Lankan to join the list. His scores of 103 and 100 not out came at the Colombo SSC in 2026.
Aravinda de Silva is the only player to feature twice on the list. He scored three centuries against Pakistan at home in 1997 and repeated the feat against India at home later that year. South Africa’s Jacques Kallis scored three hundreds against Pakistan away from home in 2007, while Hashim Amla scored three against India away from home in 2010.
Kumar Sangakkara scored three centuries for Sri Lanka against Bangladesh at home in 2013. Pakistan’s Younis Khan then scored three hundreds against Australia at a neutral venue in 2014.
Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne scored three centuries against West Indies at home in 2022, while New Zealand’s Kane Williamson did the same against South Africa at home in 2024.
Dinusha is the latest name on the list after scoring three hundreds against India at home in 2026.
3 – Aravinda de Silva (SL) vs PAK (Home, 1997)
3 – Aravinda de Silva (SL) vs IND (Home, 1997)
3 – Jacques Kallis (SA) vs PAK (Away, 2007)
3 – Hashim Amla (SA) vs IND (Away, 2010)
3 – Kumar Sangakkara (SL) vs BAN (Home, 2013)
3 – Younis Khan (PAK) vs AUS (Neutral, 2014)
3 – Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) vs WI (Home, 2022)
3 – Kane Williamson (NZ) vs SA (Home, 2024)
3 – Sonal Dinusha (SL) vs IND (Home, 2026)
Dinusha’s 103 in the first innings and his unbeaten 100 in the second innings also helped him achieve another major feat. He became the eighth Sri Lankan batter to score centuries in both innings of a Test.
Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara are the only two players on the list to have achieved the feat twice. The other Sri Lankan batters to do it are Duleep Mendis, Asanka Gurusinha, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis.
The list shows how rare Dinusha’s achievement is. Several great Sri Lankan batters, including Sangakkara and Aravinda, have achieved it, while only eight Sri Lankan players have managed to score a century in both innings of a Test.
Aravinda de Silva (twice)
Kumar Sangakkara (twice)
Duleep Mendis
Asanka Gurusinha
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Dhananjaya de Silva
Kamindu Mendis
Sonal Dinusha.
Dinusha’s firm resistance against mighty Indians has severely dented India’s hopes to WTC finals.
