Ravichandran Ashwin picked up both Sri Lankan openers before the close of play to put India firmly on top in the 2nd Test at the SSC. At stumps Sri Lanka were 50/2, 572 runs behind India’s 1st innings total of 622/9 dec.
Facing Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the pitch looked a completely different one to the one that Sri Lanka bowled on during the 1st 2 sessions of play today as puffs of dust accompanied each delivery by the Indian spinners. Where the hosts had struggled to get any grip or turn, except on the odd occasion, Ashwin and Jadeja produced bounce and prodigious spin.
Opening the bowling alongside Mohommed Shami, Ashwin produced the breakthrough in the 2nd over of the innings, getting Upul Tharanga to nudge the ball in the air towards short leg, where KL Rahul took an excellent catch. The irony was perhaps that after beating Tharanga a couple of times outside the off stump, it was a loose ball that managed to get Ashwin the wicket.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis survived some scares with the ball ripping past their bats and Karunaratne’s luck finally gave out when he nicked Ashwin to slip as Sri Lanka slumped to 33/2. Dinesh Chandimal survived a few close calls as well but he along with Mendis survived o take Sri Lanka to 50/2 at close.
Earlier in the day, Dimuth Karunaratne picked up the crucial wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara in just the 2nd over of the day. Karunaratne had had the misfortune of his maiden Test wicket denied last afternoon when he had KL Rahul out LBW, only for the decision to be overturned upon review. However, this time the review system worked in his favour as a seemingly innocuous delivery struck Pujara on the back thigh; although on-field umpire Oxenford was unmoved, replays showed the ball hitting the top of the leg stump and the decision was overturned, giving Sri Lanka’s opening batsman his 1st Test wicket.
Photo Album – Sri Lanka vs India 2017 – 2nd Test Day 2
Malinda Pushpakumara, who had been far from impressive on his maiden day in Test cricket, showed more control today and was duly rewarded when he managed to have Rahane stumped for 132. He also managed to bag the wicket of Hardik Pandya, who smashed two boundaries off Pushpakumara and then managed to sky the next delivery to Angelo Mathews at long off.
Rangana Herath managed 4/154, but will be disappointed with his performance as 3 of his wickets came when India had already passed the 450 run mark. This is the 4th time in the last 5 innings where Herath has conceded over 100 runs in an innings. Just to put this into perspective, in the 41 innings prior to that, he had conceded 100+ only on one occasion.
India managed 6 50+ scores in the innings with Pujara and Rahane top scoring with 133 and 132 respectively. They also became the only visiting team to score 500+ runs in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka and have now notched up 4 totals 600+ totals during this year alone.
Sri Lanka’s plan of going into the game with just one pace bowler backfired severely as reports suggest that Nuwan Pradeep will not bowl for the rest of the innings after sustaining what is suspected to be a hamstring injury. Pradeep pulled up clutching his left hamstring late last evening and did not take the field today. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo regarding this, Cricket Manager Asanka Gurusinha said, “We will know more about the injury tonight or tomorrow morning.”
