India and Sri Lanka produced some fantastic cricket action on a rain-marred day in Galle on Sunday, August 16. Consistent rain delayed the start of the match by 5 hours, but once the match got underway, both teams produced quality cricket in the limited time available.
Having conceded 288 runs on Day 1 of the Test match, the Sri Lankan spinners corrected their lengths and kept the Indian batters in check for the majority of the day. But two remained defiant – Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel – ensuring that the visitors remained in a strong position in the first Test.
Padikkal continued his excellent innings from Day 1 and went on to score 167, while Jurel added a brisk 51 off 68 balls late in the day to take India past 450 in the first innings.
Rains of varying intensity and the resultant wet outfield delayed the start of the day’s play until 2:35 pm. The long break and the damp pitch appeared to have rejuvenated the Sri Lankan bowlers, who returned with better lines and lengths than they had managed on the opening day.
SL vs IND 1st Test: Highlights
RISHABH PANT SQUANDERS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
India had resumed from a strong position at 288 for 2 but Sri Lanka made quick inroads after the restart.
Rishabh Pant was the first to go.
The India wicketkeeper-batter, who had resumed from an overnight score of 27, looked edgy in the middle, especially against off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha. Sri Lanka were not afraid to give the ball some air and an impatient Pant eventually fell into the trap.
Batting on 39, Pant stepped down the ground and tried to take a wild swipe at a delivery, turning away from him. The left-hander’s loft lacked timing and found Sonal Dinusha, who completed the catch running in from mid-off.
The dismissal once again left Pant’s fans frustrated, with several of them comparing him to Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios, often considered one of the most flamboyant and talented players on the circuit, failed to win a single Grand Slam in his career.
SRI LANKA SPINNERS PICK QUICK WICKETS
KL Rahul, who had retired hurt on 77 because of cramps on Saturday, added just four runs to his overnight score. Rahul failed to negotiate the turn and bounce from Nuwantha, giving a simple catch to Nishan Madhushka at short leg.
Two important wickets for just 12 runs put Sri Lanka back in the contest, but they could not fluster Padikkal. The left-hander continued to bat with the same poise he had shown on the opening day. Starting the day on 131, Padikkal soon reached his maiden 150 in 215 balls, flicking pacer Asitha Fernando for a boundary.
Padikkal’s innings eventually came to an end in the 92nd over. He stepped down the track against Sri Lanka’s lead spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, but was deceived by the loop and the lack of turn on the delivery.
Niroshan Dickwella made no mistake behind the stumps, bringing an end to Padikkal’s excellent innings.
Sri Lanka had managed to pull the game back in the first session after dismissing Pant, Rahul and Padikkal in quick succession.
India sank a little further when Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed via umpire’s call in the 99th over. But Dhruv Jurel ensured that Sri Lanka’s bowlers could not build enough pressure in the final session.
Jurel played his shots and scored quickly, bringing up a brisk half-century off 68 balls.
Luck played its part in Jurel’s innings as well. Batting on 29, Jurel’s mistimed cut went straight towards Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva, but the skipper could not hold on to the chance.
Jurel made Sri Lanka pay for the miss, reaching his fifty soon after.
His innings eventually came to an end in the 110th over, with the same combination of Jayasuriya and de Silva doing the damage. Jurel played a decent late cut, but de Silva flung himself to his right and completed an excellent catch.
Jurel’s wicket prompted India to target the Sri Lanka spinners and get some quick runs late in the day. Mohammed Siraj was promoted ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, in the hopes that he could slam some big shots. However, the ploy was unsuccessful, as India lost two more wickets within the 4 overs of Jurel’s dismissal.
But despite the wickets, Sri Lanka were not able to bowl out India at the end of Day 2. At stumps, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna remained unbeaten at 12 and 1 respectively, frustrating the Sri Lanka bowlers.
Sri Lanka had done much better with the ball compared to the opening day, but India still managed to score 460 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Padikkal’s 167 and Jurel’s late counter-attacking fifty ensured that the visitors retained the advantage despite a damp track on a rain-marred day.
– Ends
