The Sri Lanka batting to say the least was just pathetic. They cut out a dismal figure in the first innings when in one morning session of madness they lost eight wickets for 133 runs to be dismissed for 183 in reply to India’s massive total of 622-9 declared by lunch on the third day of the second Test at the SSC grounds yesterday.
However unlike at Galle when India led by 309 runs but still opted to bat a second time they enforced the follow-on with a handsome lead of 439. The last occasion Sri Lanka was made to follow-on was in January by South Africa at Johannesburg when they were bundled out for 131 and 177 in reply to South Africa’s 426 to lose in three days.
But it was not the case here yesterday as the Lankan batsmen showed more purpose and intent in their second essay as they closed on 209 for two wickets to trail by 230 runs with eight wickets in hand.
The Lankan batsmen atoned for their first innings failures with a solid display in the second largely from the second wicket pair Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis who added 191 off 313 balls.
It was unfortunate that Mendis had to be dismissed five overs before the close for a brilliant 110 scored off 135 balls – his third Test century when he got an inside edge to a delivery from Hartik Pandya and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha pulled off a superb leg side catch.
Mendis dominated the partnership with Karunaratne stroking his way to 17 fours a large part of it from sweeps which he played with aplomb making certain that he kept the ball along the ground.
Karunaratne solid in defence was the platform on which Sri Lanka built their second innings. Once again he showed that he was a second innings player by remaining unbeaten on 92 at stumps having faced 200 balls and hit 12 fours. At Galle, Karunaratne missed a century when he was dismissed for 97 in the second innings and he will sleep with his score in the nervous nineties hoping to complete his century when the match resumes today.
Sri Lanka prepared a turning track at the SSC for the second Test hoping to counter India with spin and to substantiate that move, played three spinners. India not fazed by the opposition’s tactics stuck to their guns and made no changes to their bowling line up but just one in the batting replacing opener Mukund with Rahul.
However things didn’t work out as planned for Sri Lanka because initially they lost the toss and India taking lease of the wicket racked up a formidable 622-9 declared.
But the huge score was no excuse for the Lanka batsmen to get demoralised for all they needed was to occupy the crease and apply themselves to the task diligently which they failed to do. It was not so much the wicket or the Indian bowling had anything to do with their wretched display of batting but their poor technique against accurate fast-medium and spin bowling. The Indians didn’t give anything away and runs had to be earned not gifted as the majority of Lankan bowlers had done.
Where the Lankan batsmen erred was in their lack of footwork against pace and spin. They were playing strokes with their feet firmly planted in one place which doesn’t give them any control over the stroke and the high risk of getting out.
Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal of whom a lot was expected when play resumed yesterday with Sri Lanka on 50-2 both perished within the first 23 minutes of play to shots they would regret playing. Chandimal was suckered into the sweep shot and hit the ball straight to the fielder stationed at square leg and Mendis trying to break free of the shackles imposed by the bowlers lofted a catch to mid-on.
By the first drinks break for the day Sri Lanka had already lost half their side for 117 with Angelo Mathews also having joined Chandimal and Mendis in the pavilion.
The succession of wickets continued as Ravichandran Ashwin made inroads into the Lankan batting to finish with his 26th five-wicket haul to move past Harbhajan Singh, with only Anil Kumble ahead of him.
The left-arm spin of Ravinda Jadeja proved an ideal foil. His first ball dismissal of Dhananjaya de Silva brought him his 150th Test wicket and made him the fastest left-arm bowler to get to the mark in 32 Tests surpassing Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson who held the record with 34.
Amidst the fall of wickets Niroshan Dickwella was an exception his policy was to hit himself out of trouble and after a quickfire half century off 48 balls (7 fours, 1 six) attempted a Dilscoop against Shami and had his stumps disturbed. Shami also accounted for Herath in the same over as the Lankan innings quickly receded.
India's Ravichandran Ashwin (5 /69) delivers the ball during the third day of the second Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and India at the SSC Ground - AFP