KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan planned the fourth day onslaught the previous night?

In a set of unexpected events, Sri Lanka managed to take the upper hand in the first Test against India at Eden Gardens. But a sensational opening stand between KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan ensured India finished the penultimate day on a strong note. The duo added 166 runs for the first wicket, scoring at above four runs an over.

Interestingly, few reports in the popular news media sources suggest both these swashbuckling batters planned the carnage a day before. The pitch had a lot of grass whilst the hosts were batting and this helped Suranga Lakmal and Dasun Sanaka to dictate terms. The grass slowly started to die with the sun coming out on day 3, making the trickery pitch a flat deck.

Dhawan went berserk after Sri Lanka got bowled out for 294, helping them condense the trail inside no time. Just a few overs before the day finished, Dhawan was dismissed falling six runs short of a well-deserved 100. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 73 with Cheteshwar Pujara, who faced just nine balls scoring two runs.

Game planning during dinner time

After the end of the third day, Dhawan posted a picture on his official Instagram handle. The jovial southpaw was spotted sharing a laugh alongside his opening partner Rahul and skipper Virat Kohli. This picture went viral on the social networking platforms, with fans presuming they decided their game plan during this candid discussion.

“Had great dinner with boys….looking forward to the 4th day of the game tomorrow (Sunday) and turn it to our side!!” read Dhawan’s post. Their confidence reflects on what he wrote in this message and this made the fans think. This was the first occasion in the whole game where India dominated the proceedings.

Currently, only two results are possible practically, either Sri Lank winning it or a stalemate. The Indian side would be desperate to pull off something miraculous, but to go for a draw would be a wise option.