Galle: Bowlers put up a highly disciplined performance to keep India in command in the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Tuesday.
Manav Suthar struck twice, while Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took one wicket apiece as the visitors kept their stranglehold on the Galle Test by sending Sri Lanka reeling to 84/4 at the end of Day 4, needing 288 runs more for an improbable win.
The Indian bowlers began the defence of 371 after the batters had put 193 in the first innings. Mohammed Siraj and Manav Suthar started things for the visitors with the ball, and both struck in the seventh and eighth over before Prasidh Krishna joined the party as well with a brilliant spell, during which he picked up a wicket.
Sri Lanka were reeling at 21/3 after losing Nishan Madushka (6), Pasindu Sooriyabandara (0) and Kamindu Mendis (2) before a mini-stand of 26 runs for the fourth wicket between Lahiru Udara (16) and Dhananjaya de Silva.
Suthar returned and scalped another wicket -- that of Udara before captain Dhananjaya de Silva (31* off 73 balls) and Sonal Dinusha (25* off 36) fought their way to stumps with an unbeaten stand of 37 for the fifth wicket.
The day started with India batting for two sessions. They were positive in their play. Rishabh Pant threw caution to the wind in his stroke-filled 66 from 69 balls. KL Rahul (35) and Devdutt Padikkal (44) also forged a good partnership of 65 for the second wicket as India managed to post 193 in the first innings. IANS
Scoreboard
India: 1st innings 462, Sri Lanka: 1st innings 284
India: 2nd innings:
Yashasvi Jaiswal c Dickwella b Fernando 0
KL Rahul c Rathnayake b Jayasuriya 35
Devdutt Padikkal lbw b Nuwantha 44
*Shubman Gill lbw b Jayasuriya 8
Rishabh Pant c Dickwella b Kumara 66
Dhruv Jurel c Dickwella b Fernando 7
Ravindra Jadeja c Sooriyabandara b Kumara 9
Manav Suthar c Dickwella b Fernando 9
Kuldeep Yadav c de Silva b Jayasuriya 5
Mohammed Siraj not out 2
Prasidh Krishna c Kumara b Fernando 2
Extras: 6; Total: 193-10 (48.5) | Curr. RR: 3.95
FOW: Jaiswal (0-1, 0.3), Rahul (65-2, 14.4), Gill (81-3, 20.5), Padikkal (111-4, 27.2), Jurel (121-5, 30.3), Rishabh Pant (174-6, 40.3), Jadeja (179-7, 42.3), Suthar (188-8, 46.2), Yadav (190-9, 47.1), Krishna (193-10, 48.5)
Bowling
Asitha Fernando 8.5 0 31 4
Keshara Nuwantha 23 3 86 1
Prabath Jayasuriya 11 0 43 3
*Dhananjaya de Silva 1 0 4 0
Lahiru Kumara 5 0 28 2
Sri Lanka: 2nd innings:
Nishan Fernando c Krishna b Siraj 6
Lahiru Udara c Jurel b Suthar 16
Pasindu Sooriyabandara lbw b Suthar 0
Kamindu Mendis c Rahul b Krishna 2
*Dhananjaya de Silva not out 31
Sonal Dinusha not out 25
Extras: Total: 84-4 (34)
FOW: Fernando (13-1, 7), Sooriyabandara (14-2, 7.2), Mendis (21-3, 10.4), Udara (47-4, 21.4)
Bowling
Mohammed Siraj 5 1 11 1
Manav Suthar 11 0 30 2
Prasidh Krishna 8 2 13 1
Ravindra Jadeja 6 0 16 0
Kuldeep Yadav 3 0 8 0
Devdutt Padikkal 1 0 5 0
Also Read: Yoshihide Kiryu lights torch in Tokyo ahead of Asian Games