Live Score

Needing 16 runs from the final over, Mohammed Siraj turned the game on its head. He smashed three consecutive sixes off Keshara Nuwantha to seal a thrilling victory for India. Siraj finished unbeaten on 32 off just 15 balls and then batted out the remainder of the over as per the warm-up match format, capping off a dramatic finish to an entertaining contest.

India came out aggressively in the chase as Yashasvi Jaiswal and the returning Shubman Gill put on 105 runs for the opening wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal retired hurt on 61, while Gill fell for 44. Rishabh Pant made 28, but India lost a few wickets and retired-hurt batters in the middle overs, leaving the chase finely balanced heading into the closing stages.

Sri Lanka XI began their second innings with a narrow lead of six runs and once again received a strong contribution from Nishan Madushka, who scored 63 before retiring hurt. Nipun Dhananjaya added 46, while Anjala Bandara contributed 35 as the hosts posted 200/6 from their allotted overs, setting India a target of 207. Gurnoor Brar (2/37) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/33) were the pick of the Indian bowlers.

India's reply on Day 2 saw early setbacks as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel were dismissed cheaply. KL Rahul (40), Manav Suthar (41) and Ravindra Jadeja (63* retired hurt) made useful contributions, but the standout performer was Devdutt Padikkal. The left-hander produced a superb unbeaten 142, anchoring the innings throughout the day. Gurnoor Brar then provided late fireworks with a quickfire 36*, including four sixes in the final over, as India ended on 357/6, just six runs behind Sri Lanka XI. Ramesh Mendis and Asanka Manoj claimed two wickets each for the hosts. Just like Sri Lanka XI, India too declared on their overnight score.

Sri Lanka XI elected to bat first in this three-day warm-up fixture, with both teams agreeing to bat for 90 overs each across the first two days and 45 overs each on the final day. The hosts made an excellent start through Nishan Madushka (66) and Ravindu Rasantha (71), who added 110 runs for the opening wicket. Captain Sonal Dinusha also chipped in with a fine 52 as Sri Lanka XI batted through the entire day and finished on 363/8. For India, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar picked up two wickets each before the hosts declared on their overnight score.

And that brings the warm-up fixture to a close. India emerge victorious by 6 wickets, but more importantly, both sides got exactly what they would have wanted from this contest, with each team managing to bat for 135 overs across their two innings. The focus now shifts to the much-anticipated two-match Test series between the two sides. The first Test is scheduled to be played in Galle, with action getting underway on 15th August (Saturday).

That brings us to the end of this three-day warm-up fixture in Colombo. For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off alongside my scorer Dushyant Madhukar Kumar. BYE BYE👋