India left Sri Lanka reeling at 108 for 4 after declaring their first innings at 574 for 8 on the second day of the first cricket Test in Mohali yesterday.
India’s star player Ravindra Jadeja made a top score of 175 with 17 fours and three sixes and then struck in his first over to remove Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 28 when they began their defence.
The Sri Lankans could not make any headway and kept losing wickets at regular intervals beginning with the scalp of opener Lahiru Thirimanne who was trapped leg-before to Ravichandran Ashwin for 17 in the 19th over of the innings that ended a 48-run stand with Karunaratne on a pitch that did not make run-making easy in the final session of play.
Ashwin also picked up the wicket of a reckless Dhananjaya de Silva who played an adventurous sweep only to be ruled out leg-before for 1 after paceman Jasprit Bumrah got a ball to shoot in to trap Angelo Mathews leg-before for 22.
Pathum Nissanka Silva played some sensible cricket curtailing most of his shots as wickets tumbled and was quite rightly unbeaten on 26 facing 75 balls as Sri Lanka finished the day at 108 for 4.
Earlier in the day India resuming from an overnight 357 for 6 kept piling on the runs before declaring at 574 for 8 while Jadeja and Ashwin shared in a 130-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Ashwin made 61 before he was caught behind by Niroshan Dickwella edging a ball from paceman Suranga Lakmal.
Scores:
India first innings 574 for 8 declared (H Vihari 58, Virat Kohli 45, Rishabh Pant 96, Ravindra Jadeja 175 not out, Ravichandran Ashwin 61, Suranga Lakmal 2 for 90, Vishwa Fernando 2 for 135, Lasith Embuldeniya 2 for 188)
Sri Lanka first innings 108 for 4 (Dimuth Karunaratne 28, Angelo Mathews 22, Pathum Nissanka Silva 26 not out, R Ashwin 2 for 21)