Dark clouds hung like cotton candy and beneath them on the turf, Sri Lanka battled hard. Wednesday was about the ebb and flow of cricket’s longest format, as India pushed for a triumph against a resilient host at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
A cheeky grin, eyes briefly shut, and a raised bat, revealed his sense of satisfaction. The Sri Lankan second innings, expected to be an exercise in stonewalling, turned out to be a brisk affair as the home batters rushed to erase the deficit. The risky approach was evident when Lahiru Udara miscued a pull off Mohammed Siraj. When left-arm spinner Manav Suthar stepped in, the host batters targetted him. Southpaw Kamil Mishara on-drove, Pasindu Sooriyabandara whipped and the latter also tested the catching ability of Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, with both pacers tumbling down and failing to hold on. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Mishara, playing the sweep and getting pads ruffled. On resumption, the fifth-gear was employed as Sooriyabandara reverse-hit Jadeja and Kamindu Mendis hoisted two sixes off Suthar. The big hits became regular as Sooriyabandara toyed with Prasidh and Suthar. Prasidh, who packed the on-side and unleashed a short-ball barrage, found his reward when Mendis spooned one and an on-the-run Shubman Gill picked a fine diving catch. India’s Saransh Jain celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Lahiru Kumara on the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka | Photo Credit: PTI In the last session, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva smote a six off Suthar and then was caught in the close-in cordon. Next-man Niroshan Dickwella’s streaky four helped Sri Lanka move ahead but when he too retreated with a mark on his pads, the home unit was down for the count. The first was missed, the second was achieved. Dinusha survived an lbw appeal from Saransh Jain. He pulled Prasidh for four to reach his second hundred of the series. Rahul at first slip. Both wickets were prised out by debutant off-spinner Saransh.
The second Test’s fourth day found a rain-induced closure, and at that moist time, Sri Lanka, following-on in its second innings, posted 229 for six, and nursed a meagre 16-run lead. After being bowled out for 290 in the first outing, Sri Lanka was asked to follow-on as Shubman Gill was anxious about inclement weather reducing time available in the remainder of the clash. Sri Lanka moved to 83 for two at lunch, still very much in the woods. The conclusion of the 115-run third-wicket partnership left Sri Lanka on the cusp of gaining a lead at tea. Sooriyabandara (92) survived an lbw appeal from Suthar, but undid it by giving the charge against the very next ball and was left stranded. Earlier, resuming at the overnight 265 for eight, Sri Lanka’s quest was centred on the collective goal, avoiding the follow-on, and the individual aim, a probable hundred from Sonal Dinusha. Instantly the southpaw shifted gears with a 2, 6, 4 sequence. Instantly his partner Lahiru Kumara perished and Dinusha (103) edged one to K.L. Trailing by 213 runs, Sri Lanka faced another uphill climb, one that has now spilled over into the final day. INDIA – 1 ST INNINGS (For nine wkts., declared in 138 overs): 503. SRI LANKA – 1 ST INNINGS Lahiru Udara c Jaiswal b Prasidh 1 (6b), Kamil Mishara c Jurel b Prasidh 19 (25b, 3×4), Prabath Jayasuriya lbw b Suthar 2 (7b), Pasindu Sooriyabandara b Jadeja 80 (133b, 9×4), Kamindu Mendis c Jadeja b Prasidh 32 (58b, 3×4, 1×6), Dhananjaya de Silva c Rahul b Suthar 8 (14b, 2×4), Sonal Dinusha c Rahul b Saransh 103 (162b, 8×4, 3×6), Niroshan Dickwella c Jurel b Siraj 0 (3b), Keshara Nuwantha c Saransh b Suthar 18 (74b, 2×4, 1×6), Lahiru Kumara c Jurel b Saransh 12 (58b, 2×4), Asitha Fernando (not out) 1 (4b); Extras (lb-6, nb-6, w-2): 14; Total (all out in 89.4 overs): 290. FALL OF WICKETS 1-1 (Udara, 1.2 overs), 2-8 (Prabath, 2.6), 3-35 (Mishara, 9.3), 4-122 (Mendis, 29.6), 5-137 (Dhananjaya, 34.5), 6-171 (Sooriyabandara, 44.6), 7-173 (Dickwella, 45.3), 8-230 (Nuwantha, 68.2), 9-288 (Kumara, 86.5). INDIA BOWLING Siraj 11-0-33-1, Prasidh 16-2-52-3, Suthar 21-1-83-3, Saransh 20.4-5-69-2, Jadeja 20-4-45-1. SRI LANKA – 2nd INNINGS Lahiru Udara c Saransh b Siraj 3 (15b), Kamil Mishara lbw b Jadeja 32 (39b, 3×4, 1×6), Pasindu Sooriyabandara st Pant b Suthar 92 (173b, 10×4, 1×6), Kamindu Mendis c Gill b Prasidh 55 (92b, 2×4, 3×6), Dhananjaya de Silva c Padikkal b Suthar 23 (44b, 1×4, 1×6), Sonal Dinusha (batting) 7 (37b), Niroshan Dickwella lbw b Saransh 6 (12b, 1×4), Keshara Nuwantha (batting) 3 (29b); Extras (b-3, nb-5): 8; Total (for six wkts. in 72.4 overs): 229. FALL OF WICKETS 1-5 (Udara, 3.3 overs), 2-63 (Mishara, 14.5), 3-178 (Mendis, 43.1), 4-209 (Dhananjaya, 58.5), 5-212 (Sooriyabandara, 60.3), 6-218 (Dickwella, 64.2).