IND vs SL, 2nd Test, Day 1, Review: India hold all the aces as the visitors fold for 205

The first day of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka ended with the hosts well on top of the visitors. The spin-twins R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were back in the business as they bamboozled Sri Lanka to share seven wickets between them. Though India too started off poorly and lost the wicket of KL Rahul after bowling the island nation out for a paltry total of 205. However, the Indians need to bat well on a track which still offers something to the bowlers.

Virat Kohli continued his trend of not playing the same eleven in consecutive Test matches and went into the game with as many as three changes. Surprisingly, Rohit Sharma was included in the side to give some match time ahead of the South Africa tour and Ishant Sharma also returned to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Sri Lanka went with the same team which almost lost the game in the final session after dominating the whole match.

Dinesh Chandimal called correctly when the coin was flipped by Kohli and opted to bat first. The openers Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne started sedately but the former prodded at the delivery outside the off-stump only to edge it to the first slip off Ishant Sharma. Then the visitors endured a tough period as India kept a lid on their run scoring with surface offering little assistance. The move paid dividends as Lahiru Thirimanne went for a wild slog off Ashwin and he was castled for 9 off 58 deliveries just before lunch.

Chandimal and Karunaratne resurrect

Soon after resumption, Jadeja caught Angelo Mathews in front with his wily left-arm spin bowling as Sri Lanka were left reeling at 60/3. But Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal got together and resurrect the innings. The former though was lucky to be there in the middle with Jadeja picking his wicket off a no-ball before lunch. Both added 62 runs for the fourth wicket and denied India a wicket for the best part of the second session.

Unfortunately, once again, before the end of the session, Ishant Sharma came back and wrapped a back of the length delivery on the pads of the opener who was adjudged lbw by the umpire. The wicket triggered a collapse as Sri Lanka lost wickets at regular intervals after tea. Dickwella’s brain fade moment arrived when he needlessly tried to attack Jadeja and could only scoop it to mid-on. Only the skipper looked assured at the crease and brought up his 14th half-century.

Chandimal, in the process, also completed 3000 runs in his Test career. The duo of Ashwin and Jadeja spun a web around the lower-middle order as Sri Lanka started to capitulate rather quickly. The set batsman Chandimal, while he was on 57, also threw his wicket trying a reverse sweep off Ashwin in quest of some quick runs. The tail was cleaned up without much fuss as the visitors were folded for just 205 in the 80th over.

They had lost a huge advantage of winning the toss on a surface which turns a lot going into the third day. For India, their bowlers were absolutely brilliant and passed another test of bowling first on a good track. Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers as he returned amongst the wickets with the figures of 4/67. Jadeja bowled a lot better than what his figures suggest and finished with three wickets. The most satisfying day was for Ishant Sharma who kept probing around and scalped 3/37 in 14 overs. He was disciplined and covered up for Bhuvi perfectly.

India would now love to score big in the first innings and bat Sri Lanka out of the game on the second day. Chandimal and his men, on the other hand, would be aiming few quick wickets in the first hour to peg India back in the match.

Brief Scores

Sri Lanka 205/10 after 79.1 overs (D Chandimal 57, D Karunaratne 51); (R Ashwin 4/67, I Sharma 3/37, R Jadeja 3/56)

India 11/1 after 8 overs (L Gamage 1/4)