Devdutt Padikkal is on a roll, as the southpaw notched up his second Test hundred of the series with another superb display as India started well after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Devdutt Padikkal was lucky early on as two tough chances were dropped by the Sri Lankans, something that could cost them in the end. But his hundred alongside Shubman Gill’s half-century and Ravindra Jadeja’s 43 ensured India had a decent day in the field.
For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando was the star with 3 wickets to his name while the others around him bowled decently. The Test match, we can say, is nicely poised after Day 1 with India having runs on the board, but Sri Lanka fighting hard not to lose a series again to India and at least level it up.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s swashbuckling innings gives India a solid start before the Lankans struck twice before Lunch
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul came out to open the batting for India while Asitha Fernando had the ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Jaiswal started with a bang as he drove the ball along the ground to the long-off fence for a boundary. Lahiru Kumara had the ball in hand from the other end. Jaiswal was on the charge as he looked to drive but opened the bat face at the last second to go away to the point fence for a boundary. Jaiswal then drew away from the body to get the outside edge down to the deep third man fence.
Fernando continued and bowled a maiden. Kumara bowled a maiden as well. Fernando continued as Rahul got forward and leaned into the drive past sweeper cover for a boundary. Rahul survived an LBW scare as Sri Lanka burnt a review against him. Kumara continued and bowled a tight over. Fernando bowled a maiden again. Prabath Jayasuriya came into the attack next. He started with a decent over. Kumara bowled a maiden yet again.
Jayasuriya continued as Jaiswal drilled the ball through the covers for a boundary. Rahul then took on Jayasuriya and came down the track to thump it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Kumara continued as Rahul shuffled across and pulled it along the carpet past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Against the run of play, Kumara struck for Sri Lanka as Rahul played a nothing shot away from the body to get the outside edge down to the keeper Dickwella, who made no mistake.
Devdutt Padikkal came out to bat next as he got a reprieve when he drove it towards backward point, and the ball carried to Dinusha, who put down that chance. Keshara Nuwantha came into the attack next and started with a decent over. Kumara continued and bowled a decent over. Nuwantha continued as Padikkal got another reprieve as the cut was dropped sharply by captain Dhananjaya de Silva. Jaiswal then swept it uppishly to the right of deep backward square leg for a boundary. Asitha Fernando returned and bowled a decent over.
Nuwantha continued as Jaiswal rocked back and clipped it away past Mishara at deep midwicket for a boundary. Fernando continued as Jaiswal creamed the on-drive through mid-on for a boundary. Then he again upper-cut it over the slips and away for a boundary. He then shuffled across and pulled it away past deep backward square leg for a boundary. But the bowler had the last laugh as Jaiswal chopped it back onto the stumps, with Asitha falling for 45 off 53 balls with 9 fours to his name to Keshara Nuwantha.
Captain Shubman Gill came out to bat after words were exchanged between Jaiswal and the bowler Asitha. Jayasuriya came back into the attack. He bowled a decent first over. Fernando continued and delivered a tight over. Jayasuriya continued as Gill broke the shackles by moving away and whipping the ball past short midwicket for a boundary. Kumara came back into the attack, and he bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over.
Nuwantha continued as Gill got the outside edge past the slips and away to the third man fence for a boundary. Gill completed 3000 runs in Tests. Jayasuriya bowled a maiden. Nuwantha came to bowl the final over before Lunch. Padikkal went back and across to cut it away to deep point for a boundary. India reached 88/2 in 25 overs with Padikkal unbeaten on 13 off 35 balls alongside Gill, who was unbeaten on 11 off 29 balls as the players walked off the field at Lunch on Day 1.
Devdutt Padikkal & Shubman Gill drive India forward in the afternoon session even as Gill falls at the stroke of Tea Break
Devdutt Padikkal and captain Shubman Gill came out to resume the proceedings for India while Prabath Jayasuriya had the ball in hand for Sri Lanka after the interval. Jayasuriya started with a maiden. Keshara Nuwantha came into the attack from the other end. Gill survived a close LBW call as an inside edge onto his pads saved him. Jayasuriya continued as Gill rocked back and played the short arm jab through midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over.
Asitha Fernando returned to the attack as Gill flicked it away past short midwicket for a boundary as the 100 came up for India in 29.3 overs. Gill survived another class call as the inside edge onto the pads saved him again. Nuwantha continued as Padikkal made room on the leg side and lofted it over extra covers for a boundary. Fernando bowled another decent over. Nuwantha continued as Gill stepped down the track and punched the ball to the right of Mendis at short extra covers for a boundary.
The 50-run stand came up between these two players. Fernando continued and bowled a maiden. Prabath Jayasuriya came back into the attack next as Gill came down the track and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Kumara returned as Padikkal got into the act, as he pulled it with power through vacant square leg for a boundary. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over as well.
Kumara continued as Padikkal leaned into the drive through short extra cover for a cracking boundary. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over. India reached 140/2 in 39 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Keshara Nuwantha came back into the attack, and he bowled a quiet over. Jayasuriya bowled a maiden. Nuwantha continued as Padikkal shuffled across and cut it past Fernando at backward point for a boundary. Padikkal took on Nuwantha again as he bowled short and wide outside the off-stump, and he cut it hard past backward point for a boundary. The 150 came up for India in 41.4 overs. Jayasuriya continued as Padikkal drove it past sweeper covers for a boundary as the southpaw reached his fifty off 90 balls.
Jayasuriya continued and delivered a wide as well. Jayasuriya bowled another wide. Nuwantha continued and gave away 4 byes as a bonus for the fielding side. Jayasuriya continued as the 100-run stand came up between the pair. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a tight over. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya continued and bowled back-to-back wides as well. Jayasuriya bowled a decent over yet again.
Sonal Dinusha came out to bat next. Gill got to his first Test fifty in 99 balls. Jayasuriya continued and didn’t want to concede more than waiting. Asitha Fernando came into the attack next. He struck straightaway at the stroke of Tea as he poked at it and got the outside edge to keeper Niroshan Dickwella. Rishabh Pant came out to bat next and survived the last ball behind it. India reached 187/3 in 52 overs with Padikkal unbeaten on 63 off 117 balls alongside Rishabh Pant still unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball as the players have left for Tea on Day 1 at the SSC in Colombo.
Devdutt Padikkal’s second Test ton drives India forward; Sri Lanka chip away at the wickets to stay in the contest in the final session
Devdutt Padikkal and keeper batter Rishabh Pant came out to bat for India after tea, while Keshara Nuwantha came on to bowl for Sri Lanka. Nuwantha overstepped as well. Asitha Fernando had the ball in hand from the other end and bowled a decent over. Nuwantha too bowled a decent over. The 200 came up for India in 55.3 overs. Nuwantha continued as Padikkal guided it away past deep backward point for a boundary. Kumara came back into the attack and got sharp bounce targeting Pant. He was in real pain and walked off the field, retired hurt on 3*. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next.
Jadeja got off the mark soon. Nuwantha continued as Jadeja clipped it away left of mid-on for a boundary. Kumara bowled another maiden. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Kumara bowled another decent over. de Silva continued as Ravindra Jadeja rocked back and cut it past sweeper cover for a cracking boundary. Jayasuriya returned and bowled a decent over.
Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya bowled another decent over. Debutant Kamil Mishara came into the attack and kept things under check. Jayasuriya continued as Jadeja paddle swept the ball past fine leg for a boundary. Mishara continued as Jadeja hammered it past mid-on for a boundary as the 300 came up for Padikkal in this series. Jadeja then clobbered the ball down the ground for a boundary. India reached 249/3 in 69 overs in the final Drinks Break of the day.
Jayasuriya continued after the break as the 250 came up in 69.1 overs. Padikkal took on Jayasuriya to slap it past deep cover point for a boundary and also through deep point in front of square. Then came the moment as Padikkal reached his second Test ton off 168 balls. Mishara continued and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya continued as Padikkal backed away and slipped it to deep extra cover for a boundary.
Mishara continued as Padikkal rocked back and cut it behind square for a boundary. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over. Nuwantha returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya too bowled decently. Nuwantha continued and provided the massive wicket of Padikkal as he cleaned him up for 117 off 193 balls with 12 fours to his name. Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. He rocked back and pulled Nuwantha through deep square leg for a boundary.
Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over. Nuwantha too kept things tight. Jayasuriya bowled a maiden as the second new ball was now due, and Jadeja started to suffer from cramps. Asitha Fernando came back into the attack with the second new ball and delivered a maiden. Jayasuriya took the new ball from the other end and bowled a decent over. Fernando kept it tight as the cramps were getting worse for Jadeja, but he was fighting out there for his side.
Kumara continued and bowled a maiden. Fernando continued and got Sri Lanka a late wicket as he removed Jadeja for 43 off 83 balls with 4 fours to his name as he shouldered arms, and the ball came back in to rattle the off-stump. Debutant Saransh Jain came out to bat next. Jain shuffled across and guided it late behind square for a boundary towards the deep backward point fence. The 300 came up for India in 84.3 overs.
India reached 300/5 in 85 overs with Jurel unbeaten on 7 off 21 balls with one four to his name and Jain unbeaten on 4 off 5 balls with one four to his name. 13 extras were given by the fielding side.
Sri Lanka bowled well and gave a good account of themselves out there. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/46 in 16 overs. Lahiru Kumara chipped in with 1/38 in 13 overs. Keshara Nuwantha finished with 1/93 in 22 overs. Prabath Jayasuriya finished with 0/90 in 27 overs. Sonal Dinusha bowled an over for 2 runs. Dhananjaya de Silva bowled 2 overs for 8 runs, and Kamil Mishara bowled 4 overs for 16 runs. India are slightly ahead at the end of Day 1.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2
For starters, let’s hope the rain stays away and we get a good contest between the bat and the ball. India will aim to cross the 400-run mark and more if possible to put pressure on Sri Lanka. While the hosts will aim to keep India down to the 350-400 range and then get batting to try and put some pressure on the Men in Blue. Padikkal was great, and India are ahead, but not by much at this stage. The first session will be crucial for both teams.
Let’s see what Day 2 has in store for us at the SSC in Colombo and which team will be on top at the end of the day.
Also Read: SL vs IND: Asitha Fernando Rattles Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Stump