Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Kaif Blames India’s Colombo Draw on Missing Kohli Energy
India and Sri Lanka played a Test match in Colombo that ended in a draw.
Sri Lanka had to bat again after being asked to follow on.
India needed to take the remaining wickets to win.
Sonal Dinusha scored a century and helped Sri Lanka’s lower-order batters survive.
Their resistance gave Sri Lanka a lead of 176 runs.
Former India batter Mohammed Kaif said India did not show enough energy or create enough pressure.
He believed Virat Kohli might have helped keep the team more alert and aggressive.
The draw hurt India’s position in the World Test Championship standings.
However, India still won the two-match series 1-0.
Sri Lanka drew the Colombo Test after Sonal Dinusha’s century and lower-order resistance extended their lead to 176 runs.
Mohammed Kaif said India lacked the intensity and leadership energy Virat Kohli would have provided.
India appeared ineffective on the final day after Sri Lanka followed on and declared their second innings.
The draw reduced India’s World Test Championship points percentage to 51.53, leaving them fifth.
India still won the series 1-0, giving Shubman Gill his second series victory as Test captain.
- Who
- India, led by Shubman Gill, and Sri Lanka; former India batter Mohammed Kaif commented on India’s performance.
- What
- The Colombo Test ended in a draw after Sri Lanka resisted India’s attempts to take the remaining wickets.
- When
- On the fifth and final day of the Test match.
- Where
- Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- Why
- Sonal Dinusha’s century and lower-order resistance extended Sri Lanka’s lead to 176 runs, while Kaif attributed India’s failure to finish the match to low energy and intensity.
Kaif’s Criticism
India’s Match Context
Impact of Kohli’s absence
Kaif’s Criticism
Mohammed Kaif said Virat Kohli would have kept India switched on, encouraged teammates and applied more pressure to Sri Lanka’s batters.
India’s Match Context
The article does not report a response from Shubman Gill or the Indian team disputing Kaif’s assessment; it notes that India still won the series 1-0.
India’s final-day intensity
Kaif’s Criticism
Kaif argued that India’s low energy and passive approach allowed Sri Lanka’s lower order to resist instead of India creating decisive moments.
India’s Match Context
Sri Lanka’s lower order, led by Sonal Dinusha’s century, mounted a dogged rearguard after Sri Lanka had been asked to follow on, making the draw possible.
- Match result
- The Test ended in a draw.
- Series result
- India won the series 1-0.
- Sri Lanka’s lead
- Sri Lanka extended its lead to 176 runs in the second innings.
- Key innings
- Sonal Dinusha scored a century during Sri Lanka’s rearguard.
- World Test Championship position
- India’s points percentage fell to 51.53, leaving the team fifth.
- Captaincy milestone
- The series win was Shubman Gill’s second series victory as Test captain.
- Kaif’s criticism
- Mohammed Kaif said India lacked energy, intensity and self-created pressure.