Spin twins Keshara Nuwantha and Prabath Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka’s fightback after rain washed out the first session as play got underway deep into Day 2. India started decently but lost their way to the spinners with the second new ball as the spin twins wreaked havoc to bring Sri Lanka back in the game. The overall picture has India still ahead, but the game has to move forward for a result, as rain is forecast on all days and playing havoc in this Test.
For India, Dhruv Jurel was the standout with his half-century while Padikkal fell for 167. KL Rahul resumed his innings and fell for 82. It was not a great day for India if we look at it in isolation, but overall, the Men in Blue will know they are still ahead in the game.
Keshara Nuwantha strikes twice as Sri Lanka peg India back in the afternoon session.Â
Rain washed out the entirety of the morning session. It played hide and seek and play finally got underway at 2:35 PM IST and Local Time. Devdutt Padikkal and Rishabh Pant resumed proceedings for India while Prabath Jayasuriya had the ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Pant made his intentions clear straightaway as he pulled Jayasuriya through deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Keshara Nuwantha had the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over.
Jayasuriya continued and bowled a probing over. Nuwantha continued as the 300 came up for India in 76.5 overs. Jayasuriya delivered a maiden over. Nuwantha bowled another decent over. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a quiet over. The second new ball was available and taken by Sri Lanka as Nuwantha had it with him. Nuwantha struck with the second new ball as Pant tried to take him on and mistimed it as Sonal Dinusha took a good catch in the deep. Pant fell for 39 off 62 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name.
KL Rahul returned to resume his innings on 77*. Asitha Fernando had the ball in hand from the other end. Rahul opened the bat face and guided it down past slip and gully for a boundary. Nuwantha continued as Padikkal sliced the ball late past backward point for a boundary. Asitha continued and bowled a quiet over. Nuwantha continued and got rid of Rahul for 82 off 175 balls with 10 fours and a maximum to his name as he was caught at short leg. Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next.
He got off the mark straightaway. Fernando continued as Padikkal whipped it away over midwicket for a boundary as the 150 came up for Padikkal. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Fernando continued as Padikkal crunched it hard past deep point for a boundary. Nuwantha continued as Jurel got a triple by driving through the covers. Fernando continued as Jurel steered the ball between gully and backward point for a boundary as the 350 came up for India in 89.3 overs. Keshara continued and bowled a decent over.
Prabath Jayasuriya returned to the attack. He struck for Sri Lanka as he removed the centurion Padikkal for 167 off 230 balls with 15 fours and a maximum to his name as he was stumped by Niroshan Dickwella. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Jayasuriya came to bowl the final over before Tea and bowled a decent over. India were 364/5 in 94 overs with Jurel unbeaten on 19 off 24 balls alongside Jadeja unbeaten on 4 off 11 balls as players left the field for Tea on Day 2.
Prabath Jayasuriya’s double strike leads Sri Lanka as they pick up 4 wickets to keep India down to 460/9 at the close of play.Â
Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja resumed the proceedings for India after Tea while Keshara Nuwantha had the ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Jadeja made his intentions clear as he rocked back and pulled it through midwicket for a boundary off Nuwantha. Prabath Jayasuriya took the ball from the other end. He bowled a miserly over. Nuwantha continued and overstepped as well. Jayasuriya continued and kept things tight out there.
Nuwantha struck again as he removed Jadeja for 13 off 25 balls with one four to his name LBW as he was given by the umpire. Jadeja reviewed and Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps meant he had to walk back to the hut. The review was retained. Manav Suthar came out to bat next. Nuwantha bowled a wicket maiden over. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over.
Nuwantha continued as Jurel took him on and came down the track to thump it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Jayasuriya continued as Jurel got the outside edge to captain Dhananjaya de Silva who put down the catch with Jurel on 29* at that stage. Nuwantha continued and bowled a quiet over. Lahiru Kumara returned to the attack. Jurel welcomed him back with a pull through deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Suthar then got the outside edge past the slips and away to the deep third man fence for a boundary. The 400 came up for India in 103.4 overs. Jurel then opened the face of the bat and guided it past the gully and away to the third man fence for a boundary. Nuwantha continued and bowled a decent over. Kumara continued and gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. India were 413/6 in 106 overs when players took the Drinks break in the final session of play.
Prabath Jayasuriya came back into the attack post the break. He bowled a decent over. Kumara continued as Suthar got a triple with a pull through deep backward square leg. Jurel showed his class as pulled the ball through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Keshara Nuwantha came back into the attack. Jurel reached his fifty off 66 balls, his second Test fifty. Suthar took on Nuwantha and charged down the track to pump it over wide mid-off for a boundary.
Jayasuriya returned to the attack and got the breakthrough as he dismissed Jurel for 51 off 68 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name as de Silva the captain took a stunner at first slip. Mohammed Siraj came out to bat next. Nuwantha continued as Siraj took him on with a big heave to launch it miles over wide long-on for the maximum. Jayasuriya continued and bowled a decent over.
Asitha Fernando returned to the attack. He struck as he removed Siraj for 11 off 15 balls with one maximum to his name as Siraj toe ended the ball to wide mid-off where the captain de Silva took another catch. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next. Jayasuriya struck again as he got his 4th wicket removing Suthar for 24 off 43 balls with 2 fours to his name as the batter hit it straight to long-on where Lahiru Udara took the catch. Prasidh Krishna came out to bat at 11 and he got off the mark straightaway.
The 450 came up for India in 113.3 overs. Fernando continued as Kuldeep swivelled and pulled it away through backward square leg for a boundary. Sri Lanka reviewed for LBW against Prasidh Krishna but replays showed it to be missing the stumps and the review was lost. Jayasuriya came to bowl the final over of the day. Kuldeep used his feet and lofted it over mid-off for a crucial boundary. India finished the day at 460/9 in 116 overs with Kuldeep unbeaten on 12 off 13 balls with 2 fours to his name while Prasidh Krishna was unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls. 12 extras given by Sri Lanka.
The spin twins brought Sri Lanka back in the game. Prabath Jayasuriya was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/109 in 39 overs. Keshara Nuwantha on debut finished the day with 3/175 in 39 overs. Asitha Fernando chipped in with 1/61 in 17 overs. Lahiru Kumara finished with 0/76 in 13 overs. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva finished with 0/15 in 4 overs while Sonal Dinusha finished with 0/17 in 4 overs. India still ahead despite the fightback from Sri Lanka.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3.Â
Day 3 is called the moving day and the Test match has to move now for it to have a result. Rain dominated proceedings on Day 2 and we hope it stays away for most of Day 3. It will be interesting to see India’s approach. Whether they declare overnight or come out to add a few extra runs. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has to first take the last wicket and then start batting. The hosts have to bat well on a pitch that is deteriorating now slowly.
Let’s see what Day 3 has in-store for us and hoping that the rain stays away in Galle.
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