Ravindra Jadeja struck his 2nd Test century and then dismissed Sri Lanka’s best batter, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, to leave the visitors 466 runs behind at stumps on Day 2 of the 1st Test between India and Sri Lanka.
The Indians managed 111 in the 1st session for the loss of just the one wicket, pushing the game further and further away from the grasp of the visitors. With the dismissal of Rishabh Pant last evening, Sri Lanka would have assumed things were going to get easier, but the three spinners in the Indian line-up all have Test centuries and it showed, as Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin looked completely at ease against whatever Sri Lanka threw at them.
With no Lahiru Kumara available to the visitors, the bowlers looked ragged early, before finding some movement in the air midway through the session. The short ball tactic finally worked for Suranga Lakmal as he removed Ashwin for 61, but Jadeja and the tail added a further 112 runs before Indian skipper Rohit Sharma decided to declare with Jadeja on 175*.
Sri Lanka’s innings started cautiously, the pitch really not having any demons in it. Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne added 48 for the 1st wicket before the latter was trapped in front by Ashwin.
Every time Sri Lanka looked like they would build a decent partnership, India struck, with Pathum Nissanka the only one having some luck on his side, dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah off a no ball.
