India captain Shubman Gill said there were lots of positives to take from their 1-0 series win in Sri Lanka but there can be little doubt the squad return home disappointed and disheartened after letting the hosts off the hook in the drawn second test.
India won the opening test in Galle with ease and looked set to complete a whitewash after dominating the first four days in Colombo and making Sri Lanka follow on.
However, Gill's men failed to deliver the knockout blow and Sonal Dinusha's epic rearguard action on Thursday rescued a thrilling draw.
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For India, it was a missed opportunity to leapfrog Bangladesh into fourth place in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and build a buffer ahead of their next two series against New Zealand and Australia.
"I wouldn't say the draw stings like a defeat but ... the way they drew the match from where we were, credit to them," Gill told reporters.
"It's disappointing obviously. We hoped for a win but we also have to give credit to where credit is due."
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Currently fifth in the table, India need to win six of their remaining seven tests to control their own destiny in the race for next year's WTC final.
India travel to New Zealand in November for a two-test series before hosting WTC leaders Australia in a blockbuster five-match contest early next year.
Still, India can take some encouragement from the performances of several younger players.
Spinner Manav Suthar finished as the leading wicket-taker in his first test series, while Devdutt Padikkal's twin hundreds suggested he could provide a long-term answer to India's search for a reliable number three.
Dhruv Jurel added solidity to the middle order as well as an additional wicketkeeping option.
"A lot of positives from the series," Gill said when asked about his key takeaways.
"We've played good cricket on this series. In fact, of the 10 days of test cricket, we dominated them on all days except on the final day.
"It's not easy winning overseas. They are also here to play and these are their home conditions. Sometimes we take things for granted, but I think it was overall a good series for us."
