It is ‘A’ close miss for India

Playing the sheet anchor’s role to perfection, the southpaw got vital support from Anushka Polonowita (22) and Omesh Wijesiriwardene (12 not out) to build partnerships and see the team through with three wickets in hand and draw the three match ‘Test’ series at 1-1.

On a slow track where application was the key, the Sri Lankan batsmen’s tasks were cut out with two full days remaining.

However, the Indian bowlers were right on target in the morning, claiming five wickets by lunch.

But a catch dropped immediately after lunch, that off Polonowita by Sridharan Sriram in the second slip, proved dear as the the lucky batsman and Kandamby posted 53 runs for the sixth wicket. Polonowita was on 8 then and the Lankans had only 68 on the board.

Though the Indians lapped up two more wickets to again sniff victory at 111-7, Kandamby found an able ally in Wijesiriwardene. Together they brushed aside the, by now, tiring Indian attack.

A few sharp chances and leg before decisions didn’t go their way either. But those hardly mattered in a low-scoring game where batsmen needed to occupy the crease like the 21-year-old Kandamby did.

Having first bailed out his team in the first innings too with his knock of 60, Kandamby sent out a strong signal to his selectors that he is a better player for the number seven batting slot.

‘‘I play normally at number five but I guess, all the senior players had to be fitted in. But I will get my chances,’’ Kandamby said later.

About his knock, he said ‘‘the first 15 minutes were difficult. But once you adjust and get the feet moving, it was easy.’’

Indian coach Patil preferred to look only at the positive side of the loss. ‘‘I liked the attitude with which my boys played. We played badly on the first day and couldn’t recover from that. But it was a good ending for the A concept.’’