‘India screwed up big time’: Former captain sounds alarm after Colombo’s costly error

Indian captain Shubman Gill with teammates (PTI Photo) India’s Test World Cup hopes took a hit after the Colombo Test ended in a draw, with former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth warning that the missed opportunity could have serious consequences for their qualification campaign.After taking control of the second Test, India looked in a good position to complete the series 2-0. Sri Lanka started the final day with a six-wicket deficit, leaving India needing just four wickets to seal victory.Instead, the visitors could only manage two wickets as Sonal Dinusha produced a stunning unbeaten century to let India down. The Sri Lankan batter remained unbeaten on 133 and stitched together vital lower-order partnerships to help the hosts survive and force a draw in the follow-on.The result meant India had to settle for a 1-0 series win rather than the 2-0 shootout that seemed within reach.A missed opportunity in Colombo could prove significant in the race for the WTC finals. India remain fifth in the order with Sri Lanka sixth and now have very little room for error in the remaining seven Tests.According to Srikkanth, India may need a near-perfect run from here to keep a grip on their qualification hopes.“This draw will make it difficult for India to qualify for the WTC finals. Even if India win five or six out of the last seven matches, they will have to rely on other results. It is questionable if India can beat Australia 5-0 at home. If we put a turn-turner in this series, Australia can beat India too,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.India have seven Tests left in their WTC campaign and need to win at least six of them to control their own destiny.The big challenge comes when Australia travel to India. Srikkanth cautioned against assuming that home conditions would guarantee results, especially if India prepared heavily spinning pitches.Srikkanth was particularly critical of India’s failure to close out the Colombo Test after establishing a strong position.He also highlighted Dinush’s contribution as the Sri Lankan batter produced twin centuries at the Sinhala Sports Club and played a crucial role in keeping his team alive on the final day.“India messed it up a lot. Sonal Dinusha has been amazing throughout the series. You miss a bowler like Bumrah here. You need a finishing bowler like him. Even though the rain helped Sri Lanka a bit, India should have won the match,” Srikkanth said.Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 proved crucial as Sri Lanka survived India’s late pressure to secure a draw, giving the visitors a 1-0 series win but also a potentially costly setback to their campaign at the WTC.