Pasindu Sooriyabandara stole the show on an absorbing fourth day as he led Sri Lanka’s fightback after the follow-on was enforced. Pasindu Sooriyabandara applied himself out there and deserved a ton but missed out by 8 runs. Sonal Dinusha, in the first innings, completed his second Test ton before Saransh Jain picked up two wickets, bowling Sri Lanka out before the follow-on was enforced. India toiled hard as Sri Lanka took the attack to him.
But India did not panic and got their rewards, especially in the final session as Sri Lanka went from 199/3 to 229/6 before rain played the spoilsport and truncated the final session of play. Manav Suthar took a couple of wickets towards the end as India tightened the screws. Sri Lanka had a decent day, but once again, when the crunch moment came, they capitulated big time. All results are possible on Day 5.
Sonal Dinusha completed his second Test ton while Saransh Jain’s double strike restricts Sri Lanka to 290; Sri Lanka lose their openers in morning session.Â
Sonal Dinusha and Lahiru Kumara resumed proceedings for Sri Lanka while Ravindra Jadeja had to complete his unfinished over from last night and did so. Saransh Jain got the ball in hand from the other end, and it seemed he got Dinusha out LBW. But the batter reviewed, and extra bounce saved the batter as the wickets were missing and the decision was overturned. Dinusha then took on Jain and slog swept over deep midwicket for the maximum before pulling it through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Jain overstepped as well.
Prasidh Krishna came into the attack next as Dinusha shuffled across and pulled it away through deep midwicket for a boundary to bring up his second Test hundred and of the series in 147 balls. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Krishna conceded a wide as well. Jain continued as Kumara cleared his front leg and swung through the line over mid-on for a boundary. Jain got his reward in the end as Kumara threw it away by swinging across the line and getting a leading edge to Dhruv Jurel at covers, who took a good low catch diving to his right. Asitha Fernando came out to bat next.
Krishna continued and delivered a maiden to Dinusha. Manav Suthar came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Saransh changed ends and got his second wicket as he removed Dinusha for 103 off 162 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes to his name, as the outside edge was taken by KL Rahul at first slip. Fernando remained unbeaten on 1 off 4 balls as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 290 in 89.4 overs. 14 extras were given by India.
It was a hard toil for the Indian bowlers in the first innings, with the wickets shared around. Prasidh Krishna finished with 3/52 in 16 overs. Manav Suthar finished with 3/85 in 22 overs. Saransh Jain, on debut, finished with 2/69 in 20.4 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished with 1/33 in 11 overs. Ravindra Jadeja finished with 1/45 in 20 overs. With the deficit being 213 and with the weather around, India had no choice but to enforce the follow-on, and it meant Sri Lanka came back to bat again in their second innings.
Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara walked out to open the innings for Sri Lanka in their second innings while Prasidh Krishna had the new ball in hand for India. Krishna bowled a decent first over. Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand from the other end. He started with a maiden. Krishna continued and bowled a decent over. Siraj continued and provided the early breakthrough for India as he removed Udara for 3 off 15 balls, as the short ball did the trick with Udara pulling it straight to Saransh Jain at deep fine leg. Pasindu Sooriyabandara came out to bat next.
Manav Suthar came into the attack now and bowled a decent over. Siraj continued as he glanced it away through midwicket for a boundary. Suthar continued as Sooriyabandara took him on with a sweep over square leg for a boundary. Krishna came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Suthar continued and bowled a decent over. Krishna kept things tight. Suthar continued as Mishara, with the reverse sweep, got a top edge behind square as the ball raced away to the fence. Sooriyabandara smashed the ball in front of square through the midwicket region for a boundary.
Then an opportunity came India’s way as Sooriyabandara miscued a slog sweep to get the top edge. Siraj made great ground getting there and put in a great effort but could not hold on and hurt his rib cage to go off the field as well. Drinks were taken at this stage with Sri Lanka at 43/1 in 10.5 overs. Saransh Jain came into the attack next as Mishara drove handsomely through the covers for a boundary. Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack next as Krishna at backward point almost pulled off a screamer as Sooriyabandara survived another minor scare.
Jain continued as Sooriyabandara stepped outside the crease and cleared midwicket to get a boundary. The 50 came up for Sri Lanka in 13.2 overs. He completed 5000 runs in First-Class Cricket. Mishara stepped outside the crease and launched it down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Jadeja continued and broke a budding stand as he dismissed Mishara for 32 off 39 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name, LBW. Mishara reviewed, but the umpire’s call on hitting the wickets meant the review was retained, but the batter had to depart.
Kamindu Mendis came out to bat next. Jain continued and bowled a decent over. Siraj came back onto the field after the injury scare earlier. Jadeja bowled a decent over as well. Jain continued as Pasindu survived a run-out check at the striker’s end. Jadeja continued as Sooriyabandara cleared his front leg and hit it to the deep midwicket fence for a boundary. Jain continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued and kept things tight. Jain continued and bowled a decent over.
Sri Lanka reached 83/2 in 22 overs with Sooriyabandara unbeaten on 35 off 52 balls and Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 10 off 26 balls at Lunch on Day 4. The deficit was 130 runs at this stage with 8 wickets in hand.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara & Kamindu Mendis took the attack to India before Kamindu fell to Prasidh Krishna in an entertaining afternoon session
Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis resumed proceedings for Sri Lanka after Lunch while Ravindra Jadeja had the ball in hand for India. Jadeja bowled a decent first over. Saransh Jain came into the attack from the other end. He overstepped despite bowling a decent over. Jadeja continued as Sooriyabandara defended with soft hands and got the edge past Rahul at slip and away to the third man fence. Jain bowled another no ball but kept things tight.
Jadeja continued as Sooriyabandara showed some innovation with a reverse sweep past backward point for a boundary. Jain bowled another decent over. Jadeja continued as the 100 came up for Sri Lanka in 28.1 overs. Jain continued as Kamindu survived a close LBW call as India did not review, and replays also said umpire’s call on impact. Kamindu took the attack to the off-spinner and lofted it past extra covers for a boundary.
Jadeja continued as Sooriyabandara miscued a slog sweep, as the top edge evaded Siraj over mid-on as he survived another scare. Sooriyabandara reached his fifty with a boundary as he stepped out and lofted it over mid-off as he reached a fifty in each innings this time off 78 balls. Jain continued as Kamindu clipped it towards deep fine leg for a triple.
Manav Suthar replaced Jadeja in the attack as Kamindu took him and slogged across the line over midwicket for the maximum. Kamindu survived a loud caught behind appeal as the umpire got it right, as there was no edge. Jain continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar continued and bowled a decent over. Jain bowled another decent over. Suthar continued as Kamindu danced down the track and whacked it down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Ravindra Jadeja came back into the attack next, and he bowled a decent over.
Suthar continued as Sooriyabandara drilled it down the ground for a boundary. Prasidh Krishna returned to the attack as Kamindu pulled it uppishly over midwicket into the gap and away for a boundary. Kamindu took on Krishna again and hooked the ball over deep fine leg for the maximum to reach his fifty in 87 balls into the roof the ball went. Suthar continued as the 100-run stand came up between the duo.
Sri Lanka were 163/2 in 41 overs when Drinks came onto the field in the afternoon session. Krishna continued after the break as Sooriyabandara took him on as he stepped away from the leg stump to make room and steered it through third man for a boundary and then pulled it past Jaiswal at leg slip for a boundary. Suthar continued as Sooriyabandara took him on and slog swept the ball over midwicket for the maximum.
Krishna finally provided the breakthrough for Sri Lanka and broke the massive century stand as he dismissed Kamindu for 55 off 92 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Gill took a good running catch at midwicket. The short ball did the job for India. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Suthar continued and bowled a decent over.
Krishna continued and bowled a decent over. Suthar bowled a decent over as well. Mohammed Siraj came back into the attack next, and he bowled a maiden. Ravindra Jadeja came back into the attack as de Silva skipped down the track and mistimed the straight loft and hit it towards long-on for a boundary. Siraj continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over.
Suthar continued and bowled a decent over. Jadeja continued and delivered a maiden. Suthar bowled another maiden. Jadeja continued and kept things under check. Suthar continued as Sooriyabandara entered the 90s. Sri Lanka reached 199/3 in 56 overs with Sooriyabandara unbeaten on 90 off 157 balls and Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 14 off 35 balls as players left the field for Tea on Day 4.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara falls for 92 as Manav Suthar’s double strike tightens the screws on Sri Lanka in a rain-curtailed final session
Pasindu Sooriyabandara and captain Dhananjaya de Silva came out to resume proceedings for Sri Lanka while Saransh Jain had the ball in hand for India. The 200 came up for Sri Lanka in 56.3 overs. Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a maiden. Manav Suthar came back into the attack as Dhananjaya took him on as he skipped down the track and sent it straight down the ground for the maximum. He completed 2000 Test runs at home.
Against the run of play, Manav Suthar provided the breakthrough for India as he removed Dhananjaya de Silva for 23 off 44 balls with one four and one six to his name, as the inside edge hit his back thigh and went on its way to Padikkal at gully region. Sonal Dinusha came out to bat next and got off the mark. Siraj continued and bowled a tight over. Suthar continued, and though he had gotten rid of Sooriyabandara LBW, the umpire gave it OUT. But the batter reviewed it, and the inside edge was detected.
But Suthar soon got his reward as Sooriyabandara came down the track and the bowler pushed it wide outside off-stump. Pant collected it well and whipped off the bails as his innings was agonisingly cut short on 92 off 173 balls. Niroshan Dickwella, the keeper batter, came out to bat next and threw his hands at the ball as it went away past the slips and away to the fence. The Lankans now went into the lead.
Siraj continued and bowled a probing over. Suthar continued and bowled a maiden. Siraj bowled a maiden as well. Saransh Jain returned and gave India another breakthrough as he removed Dickwella for 6 off 12 balls with a boundary to his name, as he was trapped right in front. Dickwella reviewed in hope but burnt the review for Sri Lanka. Keshara Nuwantha came out to bat next. Prasidh Krishna returned to the attack and delivered a maiden.
Jadeja returned to the attack, and he bowled a maiden too. Krishna continued as India now kept things tight. Jain returned to the attack and overstepped yet again. Jadeja continued and delivered another no ball. Jain bowled a maiden. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over as Sri Lanka were 227/6 in 72 overs at Drinks in the evening session.
Saransh Jain continued after the break and overstepped again. He had just bowled 4 balls into the over when rain arrived, and the covers were brought on. Later, the heavens opened up as it bucketed down in Colombo, which meant no further play was possible on Day 4. Dinusha is unbeaten on 7 off 37 balls while Nuwantha is with him, unbeaten on 3 off 29 balls, as Sri Lanka ended the day at 229/6 in 72.4 overs. 8 extras given by India so far.
India had to work hard for their wickets. Manav Suthar finished the day with 2/81 in 18 overs. Prasidh Krishna finished the day with 1/31 in 10 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished the day with 1/11 in 9 overs. Saransh Jain finished with 1/55 in 17.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja finished the day with 1/48 in 18 overs. So, Sri Lanka lead by 16 runs with 4 second innings wickets in hand at Stumps on Day 4.
What Lies Ahead on Day 5
So, we go to the fifth and final day of this Test match and of the series. It’s all to play for. Despite Sri Lanka having a good day for most parts, India, with their performance in the final session, has once again ended the day having their noses in front. India’s plan will be simple come tomorrow with the weather around. Get the remaining 4 wickets as soon as possible and then chase as low a score as possible.
For Sri Lanka, the onus is on Sonal Dinusha to once again rescue them. He has the tail to work with, but bowlers who will be willing to put their prices on the wicket. So, it will not be easy for Indian bowlers for sure. All results are possible, but at this stage, an Indian win or a draw looks the more likely result. Stranger things may happen on the final day. Let’s see how Day 5 unfolds for all of us.
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