Posts
After setting Sri Lanka a 386-run target, the Indian pacers claimed three early wickets to peg the hosts on the backfoot in the third session. However, after being left reeling on 21 for three by the Ishant Sharma-led attack, Kaushal Silva (24*) and Angelo Mathews (22*) revived the innings and took the home team to stumps at 67 for three.
With the match precariously poised, India need seven wickets while SL require 319 runs on the last day to win the match and series.
With the match precariously poised, India need seven wickets while SL require 319 runs on the last day to win the match and series.
After resuming on 21 for three on the fourth morning, India added 111 runs to the tally with Rohit Sharma guiding the innings for the better part of the morning en route to a timely fifty before returning to the dressing room at the stroke of Lunch. The lower middle-order then added 102 in the second session with Amit Mishra contributing useful 39 runs while holding-up one end. Ravichandran Ashwin’s 58-run knock, the highest individual score for the visitors in the second innings then helped India set the hosts a formidable target.
Defending the sizeable total, Ishant hit the deck hard from the word go and sent back Upal Tharanga at the end of the first over and with the only run on the board being a no-ball. Couple of overs later, Umesh Yadav forced an edge from Dimuth Karunaratne through to the wicketkeeper.
At two for two, the hosts found themselves in the same position as India were in their second innings. Dinesh Chandimal then joined Silva and looked to take the attack to the Indian bowlers. He slammed Yadav for three boundaries in his next as he picked 13 runs from the over.
Edges flew, fell short of the slips as pacers built up the pressure. Then, with SL on 21, Ishant drew an edge from Chandimal through to the slips, where KL Rahul juggled at third slip before Virat Kohli diving in from second took a tough catch.
Mathews then made his way to the middle to join Silva as SL found their backs to the wall. The captain then dropped anchor as he looked to rebuild the innings with the opener. The pair maintained a steady flow of runs as they negotiated the Indian bowlers.
As the day’s end drew close and lights dimmed, Kohli introduced spinners into the attack who bowled a tight spell and kept the batsmen on the edge.
However, umpires called off play for the day due to poor light. At close of day’s play Mathews and Silva were involved in a 46-run stand.
Earlier, Kohli, who had begun on the overnight score of one added 20 runs to his tally, was the first one to depart. The India captain departed edging a Nuwan Pradeep delivery to the first slip where Tharanga fumbled before taking the catch.
Kohli, who had held up one end on the third evening as he worked to build the fourth wicket stand, continued to bide his time as the Indian batsmen worked to add to the lead. The duo had added 57 runs for the fourth wicket until the partnership ended. After the wicket maiden, Angelo Mathews followed up with another maiden, but Rohit eased off the pressure by driving Pradeep for three boundaries in the next.
Stuart Binny, who had joined Rohit at the crease looked to take on the bowlers in an effort to add to the lead at a quick pace. The all-rounder milked the Lankan bowlers with a boundary almost every over.
The partnership crossed the 50-run mark at a brisk pace and Rohit too reached his half-century with a single towards point off Dhammika Prasad. However, after having done the hard yards the batsman top-edged Prasad in the over while attempting to pull the bowler over the fence.
With the lead on 229, Naman Ojha came to the middle and with Binny saw the team through to Lunch at 132 for five.
28 runs were added to the tally post lunch until Binny was back in the pavilion for 49. The all-rounder edged Prasad to the slips and Tharanga took a good catch to end the stand for 42 runs. With Mishra, who had scored a vital half-century in the first innings, Ojha soldiered on.
However, Ojha who had been batting diligently to compile 35 off 63, mishit Rangana Herath and was caught at cover. Mishra then took on the responsibility of carrying the innings forward as India looked to set the hosts a stiff target.
Edging his way forward with Ravichandran Ashwin, Mishra added valuable runs to the total. Dropped by Mathews in the cover region and surviving a run-out chance while adding a second run, he trudged on. The pair negotiated the SL attack to add 55 runs for the eighth wicket until Mishra was run out at the stroke of Tea. Looking to sneak in a single after striking the ball towards short-leg, and the lightening reflexes of the fielder ran the lower-order bat out.
At 234 for eight, Ashwin, who was looking in good nick resumed the Indian innings in the last session with Yadav to add to the already comfortable lead.
Batting at a brisk pace, Ashwin posted a half-century. As the partnership blossomed, Yadav swung his bat and Herath took the catch running in on the boundary line to end the stand for 35. Ishant then came to the crease and had to deal with barrage of short pitched deliveries as they extended the lead. India’s second innings eventually ended on 274 with Ashwin nicking Prasad to the wicketkeeper with a 385-run lead.
End of Day 1: India 1st inn 50/2 in 15 overs (C Pujara 19*, V Kohli 14*, D Prasad 1/16, N Pradeep 1/16)
End of Day 2: India 1st inn 292/8 in 95.3 overs (C Pujara 135*, A Mishra 59, D Prasad 4/83)
End of Day 3: India 1st inn 312 all out in 100.1 overs (C Pujara 145*, R Herath 3/84); Sri Lanka 1st inn 201 all out in 52.2 overs (K Perera 55, R Herath 49, I Sharma 5/54, S Binny 2/24, A Mishra 2/25); India 2nd inn 21/3 in 8.1 overs (V Kohli 1*, R Sharma 14*, N Pradeep 2/6)
.............................................................................................................
News Source- As published on BCCI
Image- BCCI
0 comments:
Post a Comment