Kusal Mendis made a brilliant back-to-the-wall century and alongside Dimuth Karunaratne gave Sri Lanka some respectability on day 3 of the 2nd Test at the SSC. At stumps Sri Lanka were on 209/2, needing 230 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
Mendis fell for 110 but Karunaratne saw Sri Lanka to the close of play, remaining unbeaten on 92.
In their 1st essay, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 183 in the 1st session of play. Having been asked to follow on by Indian skipper Virat Kohli, the hosts came out to bat and lost their 1st wicket with the score on 7 as Umesh Yadav crashed through Upul Tharanga’s defenses.
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It seemed like the game was heading for a 3 day finish however Mendis and Karunaratne played skillfully, taking their chances against the Indian bowling attack. The pair mixed caution with aggression expertly, using their feet and the sweep shot in particular to take the attack to the opposition, perhaps taking a cue from the knocks by Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella in the 1st innings.
Mendis’ intent to attack nearly led to his downfall but fortunately for him, Shikar Dhawan put him down at mid-on; Mendis had made just 1 at the stage and it certainly proved to be a costly miss for the visitors as the youngster went on to make 110.
India were found wanting in the catching department, with 3 chances going down in Sri Lanka’s 1st innings as well.
Mendis brought up his 5th Test half century and was soon followed to the mark by Karunaratne (13th Test half century) as Sri Lanka scored at over 4 runs an over in the post-lunch session. Although the Indian spinners managed to beat the bat on numerous occasions, the pair kept their heads to post the highest partnership for Sri Lanka in the series by a distance.
Mendis’ innings was brought to an end by Hardik Pandya as the medium pacer managed to find his edge; the ball then hit his back pad and lobbed up long enough for Wriddiman Saha to take a good diving catch. The pair had put on 191 by then.
The grit shown by Mendis and Karunaratne was exactly what Sri Lanka were lacking in the 1st innings as the hosts capitulated in the 1st session of play.
Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne had mentioned last evening that things would get easier in the middle once the newness of the ball had worn off but overnight batsmen Dinesh Chandimal and Mendis did not stick around long enough to find out as the pair were dismissed half an hour into the day’s play.
Chandimal swept a seemingly harmless delivery from Jadeja straight to Hardik Pandya at backward square-leg and Mendis followed soon after as he tried to break the Indian stranglehold by attempting to lift Umesh Yadav over mid on.
The dismissal brought together Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella. Realizing that defending would get them nowhere the pair took their chances, attacking the visitors primarily through sweeps and using their feet to the spinners. Mathews tonked two big sixes but ultimately fell to a sharp catch by Cheteshwar Pujara at leg slip for 26.
Dhananjaya De Silva, who had replaced Asela Gunaratne in the line-up, did not last long as Jadeja got the ball to spin away off a good length and bowled him for a golden duck.
Dickwella carried on, coming down the track and looking for the big shots. He blasted his way to his 5th Test half century off 44 deliveries; a knock that included 7 fours and a six. However, as they say, if you live by the sword, you also die by it, and Dickwella’s dismissal echoed this. He attempted to ramp Mohammed Shami through fine-leg but only succeeded in playing the ball onto his stumps.
Shami dismissed Herath in the same over and Ashwin bowled Dilruwan Perera and Nuwan Pradeep soon after as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 183.
Despite the fight shown, Sri Lanka still have a long way to go in the Test.
