# Sri Lanka need 39 to avoid follow-on on Day 4 in Colombo 2026-08-26T04:42:47+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet On Day 4 of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka are 265/8 in their first innings, needing 39 more runs to avoid the follow-on. India declared their first innings at 503/9. Overnight batsmen Sonal Dinusha remains unbeaten on 85, with Lahiru Kumara on 8. Sri Lanka lost wickets regularly on Day 3. Pasindu Sooriyabandara top-scored with 80, while captain Dhananjaya de Silva managed only eight. Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar shared the wickets. For India, Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (115*) hit centuries in the first innings. Rishabh Pant made 63 after retiring hurt on Day 1. India lead the two-match series 1-0, having won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs. Play will resume on Day 5 if needed, but India's strong position leaves them likely to push for victory. ## Indian Opinion Analysis This is only the second time India have enforced the follow-on in a Test since January 2020, and the first under the new captain Shubman Gill. Sri Lanka's 265/8 is not dire, but the overnight pair of Sonal Dinusha (85*) and Lahiru Kumara (8*) face India's varied attack, pace, spin and left-arm angle, on a fourth-day Colombo pitch that is expected to slow further. The immediate target is 39 runs to avoid the follow-on, how many more Sri Lanka can add with only two wickets in hand will shape India's second-innings declaration plans. The SSC ground record for a winning fourth-innings chase in Tests is 347, set by Sri Lanka in 2001. ## Coverage - aajtak.in Leads with headline question about follow-on, story is a detailed live scorecard with neutral match reporting This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Colombo, India national cricket team, Shubman Gill, Sonal Dinusha, Sri Lanka national cricket team, Test cricket Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lanka-need-39-to-avoid-follow-on-on-day-4-in-colombo/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lanka-need-39-to-avoid-follow-on-on-day-4-in-colombo/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/