Suthar and Pant set trap that ended Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s century bid in Colombo

Manav Suthar and Rishabh Pant combined to dismiss Pasindu Sooriyabandara in Colombo on Day 4 of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India on August 26, 2026, ending the Sri Lankan batter’s bid for a maiden Test hundred when he was on 92.

Sooriyabandara had scored 80 in Sri Lanka’s first innings and continued his form in the second, finishing on 92 as Sri Lanka attempted to save the match after being bundled out for 290. The 26-year-old had been looking to convert his start into a first Test century when pressure built following Suthar’s earlier dismissal of Dhananjaya de Silva.

Sooriyabandara was initially given out leg before wicket but survived after a review from the Sri Lankan camp. Soon after that reprieve, Pant alerted the fielders to the batter’s intent, saying, "Restless ho raha hain, mid-on ready rehna. (He is getting restless, someone in mid-on get ready.)," according to the report.

On the next delivery Suthar angled the ball wide of off stump; Sooriyabandara stepped down the track, missed the delivery and was stumped. A clip circulating on social media captured Pant directing the mid-on fielder and the sequence leading to the stumping.

Farveez Maharoof, described in the report as being "on comms duty," attributed the wicket to Suthar’s tactics and Sooriyabandara’s reaction, saying, "And that is where I think Manav Sutar was quite clever, picked it up and went outside the off stump, and he knows he has thrown it away. What an opportunity." He added, "Coming down. As soon as he saw it coming down, he used all his experience, whatever he has, threw it outside the off-stump and that particular length, awkward length for the wicketkeeper."

The stumping triggered a collapse for Sri Lanka; having taken a lead earlier in the match, the side is now described as staring at defeat and a 0-2 whitewash in the series.