Brilliant start for India in second Test against Sri Lanka
India negated Sri Lanka's toss advantage by bundling the tourists out for a sub-par 205 on Day One of the second Test here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Sri Lanka suffered a dramatic collapse in the final session, not unlike the one in Kolkata, as they lost six wickets for 45 runs. The triumvirate of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma shared the wickets between them, with Ashwin bagging four and the other two three apiece. On a pitch offering negligible assistance to any bowler in particular, the spinners used their angles intelligently and bowled a wicket-to-wicket line.
India's Ishant Sharma in full cry against Sri Lanka at Nagpur yesterday. Pics/ PTI
"I think, if there is nothing in the wicket for spinners, then it's good to try something different. Over the wicket or round the wicket, just try and create chance. It doesn't matter if you are bowling over the wicket or round the wicket. If there's nothing in the wicket, I think it's a good idea to try something different," said Jadeja.
Chandimal's resistance ends
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal offered a semblance of resistance, with a knock of 57 that also saw him surpass three 3,000 Test runs. But the effort was undone when he inexplicably pulled out the switch-hit and missed a straight ball that hit his pads.
In the eight overs India had to negotiate before stumps, they lost KL Rahul early for seven, closing a dominant day at 11 for one, with Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara at the crease. India made three changes to the side from the one that played in Kolkata, including Vijay for Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant for Mohammed Shami, who was out with a niggle, and a sixth batsman in Rohit Sharma for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Off-spinner R Ashwin is all set to bowl yet another peach of a delivery on Day One
Earlier, the Sri Lankan innings never got going as they huffed and puffed to 47 for two in the opening session, scoring at less than two runs an over after opting to bat. Sadeera Samarawickrama was the first to go, edging Ishant to Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip for a 15-ball 13.
Lucky Karunaratne
Thereafter, Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne added just 25 runs in the next 20 overs before Thirimanne lost patience and was cleaned up by Ashwin, as he missed an attempted slog-sweep.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja appeals against a Sri Lankan batsman
Karunaratne lived a charmed life en route a painstaking half-century. First, he survived a close run-out chance as Pujara hit the stumps directly from mid-on. Then, he was dropped by the same fielder in the same position, attempting a lofted shot off Ashwin. The third, however, was a legitimate stumping, denied to India on account of a cardinal error commited by Jadeja, who had overstepped. He was finally trapped leg before wicket by Ishant for 51. Niroshan Dickwella then chanced his arm. In a cameo of 24 that included four boundaries, but after he was dismissed skying a catch to Ishant off Jadeja, the Sri Lankan tail fell in a heap.
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