Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar shone through and was the pick of the bowlers for India as his 4-wicket haul helped restrict Sri Lanka to 284 and get a handy 178-run first innings lead at the end of Day 3. India could have batted in their second innings today but rain ended play early. India dominated for most parts of the day while Suthar toiled away to get himself a 4-wicket haul and Ravindra Jadeja supported him well.
Sri Lanka had their moments as after being 90/5 they fought back through Niroshan Dickwella’s 80 and a maiden Test ton from Sonal Dinusha that made sure that the hosts avoided the follow-on which was significant with rain being a factor for the remainder of the Test match. Saying so, India still in the driver’s seat and must set up the game first-up on Day 4.
Indian spinners led by Manav Suthar run riot after India get bowled out for 462.Â
India decided to bat on as Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna resumed proceedings for the Men in Blue while Asitha Fernando had the ball in hand for Sri Lanka first up. It took four balls for Sri Lanka to get the last wicket as Asitha removed Krishna for 2 off 7 balls. The short ball did the trick as he was caught down the leg side attempting the pull shot. Dickwella did the rest as India were bowled out for 462 in 116.4 overs. Kuldeep remained unbeaten on 13 off 14 balls with 2 fours to his name. 12 extras given by Sri Lanka.
For Sri Lanka’s bowling point of view, Prabath Jayasuriya was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/109 in 39 overs. Keshara Nuwantha supported him well with 3/175 in 39 overs. Asitha Fernando chipped in with 2/63 in 17.4 overs. Lahiru Kumara conceded 76 runs in 13 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva finished with 0/15 in 4 overs. Sonal Dinusha finished with 0/17 in 4 overs. Now, it was Sri Lanka’s first innings to start.
Nishan Madushka and Lahiru Udara came out to start the proceedings for Sri Lanka while Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand for India. Siraj made the perfect start for India as he dismissed Madushka for a silver duck off the second ball of the innings as the edge went straight to Padikkal at first slip. This was Siraj’s first wicket away from home. Dinesh Chandimal came out to bat next. Prasidh Krishna had the ball in hand from the other end. Udara got himself going with a guide past gully for a boundary.
Udara survived a close run out call as Jaiswal missed the direct hit at the striker’s end. Siraj bowled another decent over. Krishna continued as Udara drove on the up through cover point for a boundary. Siraj then conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting team. Krishna bowled a decent over. Siraj continued as Udara drove it back past the bowler for a boundary. Udara was in full flow as he punched it past backward point for a boundary.
Manav Suthar came into the attack next and struck straightaway as the turn and bounce outside off-stump got the outside edge of Chandimal and Pant took a sharp catch. Chandimal fell for 4 off 16 balls. Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next. He was gifted 4 byes by the bowler with sharp turn off the surface. Krishna changed ends as Kamindu drove the ball past backward point for a boundary. Suthar continued as Udara pulled the ball past midwicket for a boundary as Sri Lanka reached 40/2 in 10 overs.
Krishna continued and delivered a wide ball before Kamindu took him on and pulled it over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Suthar continued as Udara slapped the ball away through covers for a boundary. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Sri Lanka were 53/2 in 13 overs when players paused for Drinks in the morning session.
Manav Suthar continued after the break and he got rid of the form batter Udara for 27 off 44 balls with 6 fours to his name as the batter cut the ball straight to Jaiswal at backward point. Dhananjaya de Silva the captain came out to bat next as Suthar completed a wicket maiden. Kuldeep continued as Dhananjaya drilled the ball down the ground for a boundary. Manav continued and bowled a tight over.
Kuldeep continued and struck for India as he removed Kamindu Mendis for 14 off 25 balls with one four and one six to his name as captain Shubman Gill pulled off a stunner at short extra cover inches from the ground. Sonal Dinusha came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Suthar continued as Dinusha drove the ball through covers for a triple. Kuldeep continued and bowled a tight over.
Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack for the first time in the innings. He bowled a decent first over. Kuldeep continued as de Silva drove it along the ground past diving mid-off for a boundary. Suthar continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja changed ends as de Silva rocked back and punched it through covers for a boundary. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued and bowled a probing over.
Krishna continued as de Silva rocked back to the short ball and cut it between gully and backward point for a boundary. Jadeja continued and provided the breakthrough for India as he removed the Sri Lankan skipper de Silva for 21 off 41 balls with 4 fours to his name as the outside edge found Rahul at first slip who took a good low catch. Keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella came out to bat next.
Kuldeep continued to bowl the last over before Lunch as Dickwella got off the mark with a boundary with a slog sweep past short fine leg. Dickwella then rocked back and guided it past the right of backward point for a boundary. Sri Lanka reached 99/5 in 28 overs with Dinusha unbeaten on 14 off 31 balls alongside Dickwella unbeaten on 8 off 9 balls. The deficit was still 363 runs for Sri Lanka with 5 wickets in hand at Lunch on Day 3.
Niroshan Dickwella & Sonal Dinusha leads Sri Lanka’s fightback through counterattack in the afternoon session.Â
Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella resumed proceedings for Sri Lanka while Ravindra Jadeja had the new ball in hand for India. Dinusha started well with a slog sweep through midwicket for a boundary to start the afternoon session. The 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 28.1 overs. Manav Suthar had the ball in hand from the other end. India reviewed for caught behind against Ninusha off Suthar and burnt their review. Suthar then bowled a no ball as he clipped the stumps while trying to deliver the ball.
Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar continued as Dickwella drove on the up through extra covers for a boundary. Dickwella survived a close LBW call as the umpire gave it NOT OUT. India reviewed and umpire’s call saved the batter. India kept their review though. Jadeja continued and bowled a probing over. Suthar bowled a tight over. Jadeja continued as India burnt a review against Dickwella for LBW with the ball missing the stumps.
Suthar continued as Dickwella got a reprieve as KL Rahul put down a sharp chance at slip batting on 20* off Suthar. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar bowled a decent over. Kuldeep returned and bowled a decent over. Suthar continued as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Kuldeep continued as Dickwella swept the ball past short fine leg for a boundary.
Jadeja returned and overstepped as well. Kuldeep continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. Sri Lanka reached 153/5 in 44 overs as players took Drinks in the afternoon session. Kuldeep continued after the break as Dickwella hit it hard along the ground to backward square leg fence for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Dickwella reached his 23rd Test fifty in 67 balls. Kuldeep continued and bowled a decent over. Siraj came back into the attack as Dickwella guided it with the pace of the bowler to diving gully fielder for a boundary. Dinusha then guided it past gully for a boundary.
Kuldeep continued as Dinusha reached his second Test fifty in 92 balls. Siraj continued and delivered a maiden. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack next. He bowled a decent over as well. Siraj continued and overstepped as well. Krishna continued as Jaiswal with a wild throw gave bonus runs as an overthrow to Dickwella. The 100-run stand came up between the two batters. Siraj continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar came back into the attack and was welcomed with a maximum as Dinusha slog swept it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 200 came up for Sri Lanka in 54.1 overs.
Siraj continued and conceded a wide as well. Suthar continued as Dickwella swept it along the ground between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Sri Lanka reached 215/5 in 57 overs with Dickwella unbeaten on 72 off 101 balls alongside Dinusha unbeaten on 62 off 116 balls. Sri Lanka trailed India by 247 runs at that stage at Tea on Day 3 with a wicketless session meaning a session won by the hosts.
Manav Suthar & Ravindra Jadeja combines well to bowl Sri Lanka out for 284 in 79.4 overs in the final session.Â
Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha resumed proceedings for Sri Lanka while Prasidh Krishna had the ball in hand for India. Dickwella started the session with a boundary with a ramp over gully. Ravindra Jadeja had the ball in hand from the other end as Dinusha slog swept it over deep forward square leg for the maximum. Jadeja overstepped yet again. Krishna continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja bowled a maiden.
Krishna continued and finally provided the breakthrough for India as he managed to get the outside edge of Dickwella through to Rishabh Pant who made no mistake. Dickwella fell for 80 off 115 balls with 7 fours to his name. Debutant Keshara Nuwantha came out to bat next. Jadeja continued as Nuwantha was given a reprieve as KL Rahul dropped another chance at first slip, this time a slightly simpler chance one has to admit. Krishna continued and bowled a decent over.
Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over as well. Krishna continued and bowled a probing over as well. Jadeja continued and got rid of Nuwantha for 2 off 18 balls as the shot hit by Nuwantha was hit to Jaiswal’s knee which ricocheted to Shubman Gill who made no mistake. Prabath Jayasuriya came out to bat next. Jadeja completed 350 Test wickets with this scalp. Suthar returned to the attack and bowled a quiet over.
Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja too kept it tight. Suthar bowled another tight over. Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack. Jayasuriya finally got off the mark with a sweep through vacant fine leg for a boundary. Dinusha reached the 90s as well. Suthar continued as Jayasuriya slog swept it over square leg for a boundary. Kuldeep continued as Dinusha once again hit the reverse sweep to split the gap and hit it past backward point for a boundary.
Sri Lanka reached 271/7 in 75 overs when players paused for the Drinks Break in the final session. Suthar continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Ravindra Jadeja returned and delivered a maiden. Suthar continued as Dinusha reached his maiden Test ton off 167 balls, an excellent innings under pressure. But then against the run of play, Jayasuriya threw it away as he went for the big one and was holed out by Jurel at deep square leg. Jayasuriya made 10 off 43 balls with 2 fours to his name. Lahiru Kumara came out to bat next.
Jadeja then struck for India as he trapped Dinusha LBW for 100 off 168 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. He reviewed in hope, but there was no inside edge and ball tracking showed three reds and OUT remained with the review being lost. Asitha Fernando came out to bat at 11.
Kumara took on Suthar as he launched the ball past wide long-on for a boundary. Then he hit the bowler by going down on one knee and launching it across the line over square leg for the maximum. But the fun lasted up until that moment as Suthar had the last laugh picking up Kumara stumped for 10 off 5 balls with one four and one six to his name. Asitha remained unbeaten on 0 off 5 balls as Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 284 in 79.4 overs. 16 extras given by India.
For India’s bowling point of view, Manav Suthar was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/76 in 21.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja finished with figures of 3/57 in 21 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 1/65 in 14 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished with 1/29 in 9 overs while Prasidh Krishna finished with 1/47 in 14 overs. This meant India had a lead of 178 runs after the completion of 2 innings. India were set to start their second innings but dark clouds and rain threat meant play was called off for the day and India will start batting tomorrow weather permitting.
What Lies Ahead on Day 4.Â
We saw a spirited fightback by Sri Lanka in the afternoon session. Despite all those efforts and Sonal Dinusha’s ton, India are still ahead in the game through their spinners’ work. They lead by 178 runs and have 10 wickets in hand in their second innings when they come out to bat tomorrow. 2 days left and rain threat is always there on both the days. The onus is on India to push the game forward now while Sri Lanka will hope to keep India batting more, so that they have to bat less to save the game.
It will be safe to say that only two results are realistically possible with 2 days remaining i.e. India win or draw. Rain could derail India’s plans. Can India push forward and get closer to victory? Important WTC points up for grabs. Let’s see how the fourth day plays out in Galle weather permitting with the day slated to start at 9:45 AM IST.
Also Read: SL VS IND: Keshara Nuwantha & Prabath Jayasuriya Leads Sri Lanka’s Fightback On Rain Affected 2nd Day.