The final Test: Rain ruins play on day one after Sri Lanka rattle India

Only 15 overs were bowled before downpour washed out the remaining sessions


Afp August 28, 2015
Dhammika Prasad let loose a sharp in-swinger to dismiss India lost second Test century-maker Lokesh Rahul off the second ball of the game. PHOTO: AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka gave India a scare before bad weather washed out a major part of the opening day’s play in the series-deciding third and final Test in Colombo on Friday.

Just 15 overs were bowled in the 75 minutes of play possible before lunch, during which Sri Lanka grabbed two early wickets after sending India in to bat on a greenish pitch under overcast conditions.

The tourists slipped to 14-2 in the fourth over before moving to 50 without further loss, but heavy rain that lashed the Sinhalese sports club prevented any further play in the day.

Cheteshwar Pujara was unbeaten on 19 and skipper Virat Kohli was on 14, the pair having put on 36 for the third wicket to stymie the Sri Lankan attack.

The series is locked at 1-1 after Sri Lanka won the opening Test in Galle by 63 runs and India drew level with a 278-run win in the second match at the P Sara Oval in Colombo on Monday.

Bad weather has been forecast for the duration of the match, but India’a batting coach Sanjay Bangar predicted a “hard-fought” Test on what he said was a sporting pitch.

“We have hardly had one full session, so it is premature to even think of a result at this stage,” Bangar said. “This is going to be a really hard-fought and tight Test. It’s a sporting pitch with a good grass cover on it. It is also hard underneath and I expect the ball to seam around throughout the game. It will make for challenging cricket.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th,  2015.

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