Third Test : Wickets galore leaves match delicately poised

India dismiss Sri Lanka for 201 but fall to 21-3 at stumps

COLOMBO:

The decisive third Test between India and Sri Lanka hangs on a knife’s edge after 15 wickets fell during a dramatic third day’s play in Colombo on Sunday.

Play ended with India 21-3 in their second innings, an overall lead of 132 with seven wickets in hand on a seaming pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

With the series locked at 1-1 and bowlers trying to press home the advantage, a fine rearguard action by Sri Lanka’s lower order stood out.

India’s makeshift opener Cheteshwar Pujara carried his bat through his side’s innings to anchor his team to a competitive 312 before their first innings ended 25 minutes after the start of the day’s play.

The hosts slipped to 47-6 in reply and were in danger of being asked to follow on before the last four wickets added 154 runs in a remarkable revival that helped them to 201 soon after tea.

Indian seamer Ishant Sharma picked up five wickets, but Sri Lanka were saved by a defiant 79-run partnership between debutant wicketkeeper Kusal Perera and tailender Rangana Herath.

The pair joined hands with the hosts still 66 runs away from avoiding the follow-on and with Dhammika Prasad having retired hurt after being hit on the hand by a rising ball from Sharma.

Left-handed Perera, making his Test debut after playing 48 one-day internationals and 20 T20 games, smashed the Indian bowlers around for 55 off 56 balls with the help of nine boundaries.

Perera was finally dismissed by Sharma, top-edging a pull to mid-off, but 37-year-old veteran Herath made a defiant 49 and Prasad, who returned to bat after being treated in the dressing room, chipped in with 27 to take Sri Lanka much closer to India’s first innings total than they looked they will ever get.

Pujara, who marked his recall to the Indian Test side with an unbeaten 145 in the first innings, was bowled by Dhammika Prasad for a second-ball duck in the second knock.

Seamer Nuwan Pradeep then bowled Lokesh Rahul and trapped Ajinkya Rahane leg-before to leave India 7-3. Skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma played out time before heavy rain ended play 35 minutes early.

Pujara, who had been dropped for India’s last four Tests across Australia, Bangladesh and the ongoing series, might not have played this match if both regular openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan had been fit.

The 27-year-old, who usually bats at number three, notched up his seventh Test century and become only the fourth Indian after Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag to bat through the innings. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st,  2015.

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