'As long as we have a chance, we always keep believing' - Gill on India’s WTC Hopes

The second Test between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 27, 2026. India finished the two-match series with a 1-0 victory after their 165-run win in the opening Test in Galle. Despite India's efforts to force a result after enforcing the follow-on, Sri Lanka showed tremendous resilience on the final day to finish at 429 for nine declared and secure the draw.

Sonal Dinusha was the standout performer for Sri Lanka, scoring an unbeaten 133 in the second innings. His century made him only the third Sri Lankan batter after Duleep Mendis and Aravinda de Silva to score hundreds in both innings of the same Test.

Suthar's standout bowling performance

Manav Suthar emerged as one of India's standout performers in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, making a significant impact with his left-arm spin. After claiming 10 wickets in the first Test in Galle, Suthar continued to trouble the Sri Lankan batters in Colombo and finished the series among India's leading wicket-takers.

Gill spoke about Suthar's standout display and his importance to India's plans.

"Everything, how consistent he is and how well the ball, how well he releases the ball and how the ball goes off from his wrist, from his fingers. He's a very pleasing bowler to see and I think he's going to be someone who's going to be very, very crucial for us in the upcoming years, Gill said in the post-match presentation.

India's World Test Championship prospects

India's position in the WTC 2025-27 cycle stands at 5 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw from 10 matches, giving the team 64 points and a win percentage of 53.33. The upcoming tour of New Zealand in November 2026 will be a significant opportunity for India to strengthen their chances of reaching the World Test Championship finals.

Gill expressed confidence in the team's ability to compete in the remaining fixtures and secure a spot in the final.

"Yes, we are going to New Zealand in November, so that's a good series for us, and then we've got a good home series coming. So hopefully if we have a good New Zealand series, as long as we have a chance, we always keep believing, and hopefully we'll make it to the finals, Gill added.

Tactical decisions and match outcome

The decision not to enforce the follow-on in the first Test drew attention from observers and analysts. Gill explained the reasoning behind the tactical choice, noting that weather conditions and uncertainty about the availability of a full day's play on the final day influenced the team's decision-making process at the time.

"Like I said, I think they played brilliantly this game. In hindsight, you can think, okay, if enforcing the follow-on was a right decision? But keeping the weather and everything in mind we weren't sure if there's going to be a full day of game on day five. But you can only talk about these things in hindsight, when you're in that moment you try to take the best decision as you can, and some of the things then go our way, but that's totally fine. This is a game of cricket, and I think in the end the Test cricket won today, Gill concluded.