Test cricket: Suthar-Jadeja strike back after Dinusha-Dickwella’s defiance

Galle: Left-arm spinners Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets between themselves as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 284 on Day 3 of the first Test, and sealed a formidable 178-run first-innings lead before rain forced early stumps to be taken at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on Monday.

Arriving on the tour with immense expectations, Suthar lived up to the billing by striking with his very first ball and finishing with 4-76 in a spell where he got turn and bounce while hitting the right lengths. His veteran spin partner Jadeja chipped in with 3-57, and even crossed the 350 Test-wicket mark.

Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna took a wicket apiece to round off a thoroughly clinical collective bowling effort for India, who briefly entertained hopes of enforcing the follow-on after reducing the hosts to 90/5.

However, Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella mounted a stubborn recovery through a 146-run sixth-wicket partnership as the ball softened and lost its bite. The duo showed exceptional composure and absorbed pressure, including sweeping and reverse-sweeping very well, to deny India the opportunity to put pressure on them.

While Dinusha pushed on to register a brilliant maiden Test hundred off 168 balls, Dickwella’s search for an elusive three-figure score continued on his return to the format after nearly three years. The wicketkeeper-batter remains with the record for most Test half-centuries without a hundred when he fell for a well-made 80 off 115 balls as Krishna produced a beauty with the old ball to trigger the final collapse. IANS

Scoreboard  

India: 1st innings : 462

Sri Lanka: 1st innings:

Nishan Fernando    c Padikkal b Siraj     0

Lahiru Udara          c Jaiswal b Suthar   27

Dinesh Chandimal  c Pant b Suthar       4

Kamindu Mendis    c Gill b Yadav          14

*Dhananjaya de Silvac Rahul b Jadeja  21

Sonal Dinusha       lbw b Jadeja            100

Niroshan Dickwella c Pant b Krishna      80

Keshara Nuwantha c Gill b Jadeja         2

Prabath Jayasuriya c Jadeja b Suthar     10

Lahiru Kumara       st Pant b Suthar       10

Asitha Fernando     not out                    0

Extras: 16; Total:                  284-10 (79.4)

FOW:Madushka (0-1, 0.2), Chandimal (27-2, 7.1), Udara (53-3, 13.5), Mendis (59-4, 16.1), *Dhananjaya (90-5, 26.1), Dickwella (236-6, 61.4), Nuwantha (243-7, 66.4), Jayasuriya (274-8, 77.5), Dinusha (274-9, 78.1), Kumara (284-10, 79.4)

Bowling:

Mohammed Siraj    9       3     29   1

Prasidh Krishna      14     0     47   1

Manav Suthar        21.4  1     76   4

Kuldeep Yadav      14     0     65   1

Ravindra Jadeja     21     5     57   3

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