Cheteswar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane scored unbeaten centuries apiece and batted India into a dominant position on the opening day of the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds yesterday.
| Indian pair Ajinkya Rahane (left) and Cheteswar Pujara batting during their unfinished double century partnership on the opening day of the second cricket against Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds yesterday. - AFP |
The pair came together at the fall of Indian captain Virat Kholi’s wicket for 13 at 133-3 and was still there together at the close when India finished on 344 for three wickets after winning the toss and batting first.
What these two batsmen have exposed is the limitations in the Lankan bowling attack which they played with ease during their 308-ball liaison unfinished stand of 211 that is just 20 runs shy of the highest ever for the wicket at the SSC. Although there was some assistance from the wicket which seemed two-paced at times with certain balls taking off from a good length and others turning sharply Sri Lanka simply didn’t have that extra edge in their bowling to exploit the pitch which as the day went by has started to slow down. It would be interesting to see how the Indians bowl on it.
When Shikhar Dhawan was at the crease one could feel the run rate racing, but even without him India still managed to maintain a rate of nearly four runs an over with Pujara and Rahane batting with such serenity that one hardly felt that they were scoring runs. It was suddenly when you look up at the scoreboard that you see how quietly and efficiently they had racked up the runs without much fanfare.
The afternoon session India ran up 137 despite losing the wickets of Lokesh Rahul run out for 57 over a bad mix-up with Pujara and Kohli, and in the final session 106 without losing a single wicket. This was Test cricket at its best with the number one ranked team laying the foundations to build a huge first innings score that is always vital for the end result. At Galle India batted first and ran up 600 and won by 304 runs, a similar score is likely here with only three wickets down.
How comfortable the Indian batsmen played the Lankan bowling can be gauged by the fact that no catches came to hand but several edges fell short of the close-in fielders.
The way Pujara and Rahane negotiated the Lankan bowling was a lesson for the Lankan batsmen that once you have got your eye in you don’t simply throw away your wicket but go for a big score. Both these batsmen are set to continue today from where they have left off.
Pujara is unbeaten on 128 scored off 225 balls (10 fours, 1 six), his 13th Test century, third against Sri Lanka and second at the SSC and, Rahane is 103 not out scored off 168 balls (12 fours), his ninth Test hundred and second against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka who went into this Test with just one frontline fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep suffered a mild shock when he was forced off the field clutching his left hamstring after bowling just four balls of the second new ball. The over was completed by left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara who on his debut finished with figures of none for 82 off 19.2 overs.
The danger here is whether Pradeep will be able to resume bowling in the match today as Sri Lanka have no back-up seamer having gone into this Test with a three-prong spin combination.
The two successful bowlers for Sri Lanka were the other two spinners Rangana Herath who accounted for Kohli’s wicket and Dilruwan Perera who dismissed the dangerous looking Dhawan for 35 off the first ball he bowled in the innings.
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