Suthar makes promising start, Gill takes a stunner

PC- Debasis Sen, RevSportz

At this rate, the first Test between India and Sri Lanka here in Galle could be heading for a four-day finish. This is despite the fact that a significant amount of play has already been lost in this game due to rain. At lunch on Day 3, the hosts were on 99/5 after India were bowled out for 462 in their first innings.

 

Has the pitch deteriorated significantly? No. It’s taking a bit of turn, which is expected on a third-day surface. Is the bowling unplayable? The answer once again is a no, notwithstanding that Manav Suthar is looking promising. Sri Lanka’s batting so far has been poor, temperament and execution-wise.

 

Sample this: From the Fort End, Suthar bowled almost a half-tracker to Lahiru Udara. By then, the Sri Lankan opener had a 44-ball stay at the crease. Yes, the ball bounced a bit, but it still had ‘hit-me’ written all over it. Udara hit it straight to Yashasvi Jaiswal at backward point to perish. It was a bonus wicket for the tourists.

 

Three overs later, Kamindu Mendis skipped down to a play fullish delivery from Kuldeep Yadav. He wasn’t quite to the pitch of the ball, but rather than offering a deadpan defence, he pushed at it. Shubman Gill took a stunner at short cover.

 

On the stroke of lunch, Ravindra Jadeja got into the wicket-taking act as well, removing Dhananjaya de Silva with a delivery that spun off the deck.

 

Suthar’s first wicket, though, came from a good delivery. It’s never easy for a slow bowler to get into a nice rhythm from the outset. But the left-arm spinner’s very first ball was tossed up and had a nice drift. It also bounced sharply to take the outside edge of Dinesh Chandimal’s bat.

 

Before that, Mohammed Siraj had Nishan Madushka caught at slip in the first over of Sri Lanka’s innings.

 

Earlier, resuming on overnight 460/9, India’s first innings folded up in the second over of the day, with Prasidh Krishna getting out for two.

 

The way things are set up, inclement weather could be the only impediment for India.

 

Lunch scores: India 462 all out vs Sri Lanka 99/5 (Lahiru Udara 27; Mavav Suthar 2/17)

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