India find themselves firmly in control at the Sinhalese Sports Club, yet the fourth day of the second Test produced a passage of cricket that left Cheteshwar Pujara distinctly unimpressed, not with the bowling, but with the captaincy of his former teammate, Shubman Gill.

The middle session on Day 4, where Sri Lanka launched a spirited counter-attack, is where Pujara believes Gill lost his tactical grip. Resuming at 265 for 8, the hosts were bundled out for 290, handing India a hefty 213-run lead. Gill opted to enforce the follow-on, and Sri Lanka responded with far greater resolve the second time around.

Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis stitched together a century partnership that completely altered the match's momentum. Between lunch and tea, Sri Lanka plundered 116 runs for the loss of just one wicket, slashing the deficit to a mere 14 runs. It was in this very session that Pujara felt Gill's captaincy faced its first genuine test, and in his view, the young skipper came up short.

"If you look at the session between lunch and tea, Shubman was tested as a captain. He went defensive too early. That is where he will have to learn going forward," Pujara remarked on Cricinfo. He elaborated that India appeared rattled by the hosts' aggression and retreated when they should have doubled down. "India were a little shocked by Sri Lanka's counter-attack. This is where you need to show a little more courage. Encourage your bowlers to still pick up wickets rather than go too defensive," he added.

To his credit, Gill did intervene spectacularly in the field, taking a brilliant running catch at square leg to remove Kamindu Mendis for 55 off Prasidh Krishna, breaking the dangerous 178-run stand. Manav Suthar then accounted for Dhananjaya de Silva, while a clever change of pace had Sooriyabandara stumped by Rishabh Pant for 92, just shy of a well-deserved century. Saransh Jain soon removed Niroshan Dickwella, as India fought back late.

The decision to enforce the follow-on had been a topic of discussion since Day 3, with bowling coach Morne Morkel hinting at the possibility. Pujara believes the weather forecast, not pitch conditions, drove that call. "I am sure they must have spoken to the ground staff. There was some rain around. The main reason for them enforcing the follow-on was the rain. If there wasn't any rain around, I think India would have preferred to bat," he explained.

Pujara backed the follow-on decision, especially given how India clawed back with late wickets. Rain eventually arrived at 4:37 pm, cutting short the day's play and denying India the chance to attack Sri Lanka's tail. The hosts closed on 229 for 6, holding a slender 16-run lead, leaving India needing four wickets on the final day.

The criticism, however, lingers on the process rather than the outcome, and for Pujara, that distinction matters. Gill may still walk away with a series win, but his captaincy under pressure has raised questions that only time and experience can answer.