It is often too easy, considering their mammoth paychecks and the enormous amount of hype surrounding them, to be over-critical of India when they lose (and occasionally when they win). Their series-levelling victory at Colombo, though, was a superbly resilient effort at a Sri Lankan fortress.India’s bowlers inevitably receive some stick for their general air of impotence, but they stood out well in this match. Sri Lanka’s batting, mind, was poor, particularly on the fourth morning when they slid to 88 for 7. But consider that Sri Lanka’s last loss after losing the toss at home dates back to 2001; consider their habit of running up large scores–as indeed they did in their first innings, led by the unsung Thilan Samaraweera–and then winkling out the opposition with a slow and noisy strangle of spin and occasional fizzing seam; and then one can look with perspective at India’s effort. Consider also that the ball was bouncing and turning square on the fifth day when India snared a challenging 257, and that VVS Laxman, the most lyrical of that much-acclaimed Fab Four, put up their best fourth-innings effort of his career, and you realize that this victory is one that India will remember for a time.For one thing it wasn’t the typical, over-hyped brilliance with the bat that set up India’s win. Virender Sehwag’s typically furious century did gnaw off a large chunk out of Sri Lanka’s imposing first-innings total swiftly, but what really helped India to a slender first-innings lead, and a psychological uplift, was the dogged eighth-wicket stand of 64 between tailenders Abhimanyu Mithun and Amit Mishra, who survived that most lethal of late-over bowlers, Lasith Malinga, and emerged battered and bruised but with a slim lead.Sri Lanka, led expectedly by the resilient Samaraweera and a quite astonishing 78 from their own tailender Ajantha Mendis, held the aces coming into the fifth day. Significantly, though, Mendis couldn’t contribute with the ball. The little off-spinner bowled decently, but was out-bowled by his taller, more conventional partner, Suraj Randiv, who in only his second Test picked up nine wickets for the match and looked by some distance the most threatening of Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Sachin Tendulkar, in the responsible, restrained fashion that viewers have now come to expect at this late stage of his career, put on a vital 109 with Laxman, who played quite beautifully. His pulls, particularly the unfazed flicks off the fast and furious Malinga, were a delight, and Sri Lanka for once couldn’t hold on to their chances.India’s win, pleasingly, came with a spectacular six from Suresh Raina, who has done well in this series to replace a rather leaner Yuvraj Singh (though the latter’s complaint to the police at being called “water-boy” seems just a touch unnecessary). Importantly, the comeback wasn’t accomplished with swagger and flash, but with good hard work. And that seems to be a move in the right direction for India.