Ravindra Jadeja claimed 2 late wickets to restrict Sri Lanka to 31/2 at the end of the 4th day’s play in Delhi after setting the visitors a target of 407. Sri Lanka need a further 379 to register an unlikely win to square up the 3-match series.
Sri Lanka started day 4 with skipper Dinesh Chandimal at the crease alongside last man Lakshan Sandakan with the scores on 366/9. Chandimal harboured the strike and soon brought up his 150 and eventually went past his top Test score, which incidentally also came against India. He was dismissed for 163 looking for quick runs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 373.
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With a lead of 163, India looked to score quickly and get the visitors in to bat during the day. Suranga Lakmal struck in the 3rd over of the innings to send 1st innings centurion Murali Vijay back to the pavilion for 9. In a bid to give Ajinkya Rahane as much batting as possible, the Indian management sent the out of form batsman at number 3, ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara. The move did not work to their satisfaction however as Rahane found the bowlers difficult to get away and eventually fell trying to up the ante after scoring 10 off 37 deliveries.
Pujara and birthday boy Shikhar Dhawan brought some momentum into the Indian innings 77 for the 3rd wicket. Pujara fell one short of a half century but Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma capitalized on the splendid batting conditions to post half centuries and stretch the Indian lead past 400. The hosts eventually declared with Sharma reaching his half century, setting Sri Lanka a target of 407.
Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne started somewhat fluently but a fiery over from Mohammed Shami saw him glove the ball to Rahane at slip, giving India the opening they were looking for. Samarawickrama reviewed the decision, perhaps in the hope that the ball had hit his glove after he had lost contact with the handle of the bat, but the decision stood.
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Dhananjaya De Silva joined Karunaratne and the pair looked steady at the crease before the latter edged the ball through to the keeper off the bowling of Jadeja. The left arm spinner struck soon after to remove night-watchman Suranga Lakmal as well as Sri Lanka finished day 4 on 31/3, needing 379 more runs to register an unlikely win.
The air quality in Delhi was a talking point during the past two days of play and came to the fore once again as both Suranga Lakmal and Mohammed Shami were seen to be experiencing some significant discomfort while bowling.
