Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Day 2- 5 Talking Points

The Indians reigned supreme on Day 2 of the second Test in Galle as the Indian bowlers equalled the performance of the batsmen. Sri Lanka has been outplayed in all departments as of now and it will take a miraculous effort from the Lions to turn this Test around. The Indian touched the 600 run mark before losing all their 10 wickets. The tail-enders played their role perfectly which left a satisfied Kohli-Shastri duo on the stands.

The Sri Lankan batsmen were not up to the mark and find themselves in complete disarray as they finish at 144/5 at the end of day’s play. Umesh Yadav continued his dazzling form with the ball from the sluggish tracks of the Caribbean and was well supported by Shami, Ashwin and Jadeja. Upul Tharanga was the only Sri Lankan batsman who looked in touch but was unfortunate to lose his wicket in a run-out. Here are 5 talking points of the day which would give you a perfect idea of Day 2’s action:

1. Cheteshwar Pujara’s 150

Cheteshwar Pujara continues to grow as the perfect Test batsman with another 150 plus score under his belt. The batsman was a part of two formidable partnerships in the inning with Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane respectively. The batsman lost his wicket with a score of 153 from 266 balls but the damage was already done to the hosts. After Dhawan got out on a score of 190 and the Sri Lankans followed it up with the wicket of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara showed great responsibility to bring the Indian inning back on track. With each inning, the player seems to go one step higher on maturity and can be considered as a true replacement for the legendary Rahul Dravid. However, this was Pujara’s 6^th 150+ score in Test cricket.

2. Hardik Pandya’s debut 50

Hardik Pandya has not got a foot wrong since the iconic 10^th edition of the IPL. The highly effective all-rounder broke into the international scene following his brilliance in the lucrative tournament. He was awarded his first Test cap by skipper Virat Kohli in this Test and he repaid the captain in style. Pandya marked his Test debut with a fifty down the order which was absolutely crucial in taking India to the 600 run mark. However, Pandya was dropped early in his inning by Karunaratne. Interestingly, Pandya played his first test match like a T20 inning which included 5 fours and 3 sixes.

3. Indian tail wags- Contributions from Ashwin and Shami

Apart from Hardik Pandya, two other tail enders contributed with the willow for India. Ravichandran Ashwin who was picked over the in-form Kuldeep Yadav justified his role as an all-rounder. His 47 runs were also an effective contribution in India’s huge total. However, the biggest surprise came from the bat of Mohammed Shami as he came into bat with his six-hitting mode switched on. It was raining sixes at the Galle as Shami played with the Sri Lankan bowling attack. He hit 3 sixes in his short cameo of 30 runs which gave a moment of laughter and happiness to the Indian dressing room.

4. Upul Tharanga and Angelo Mathews knocks

Sri Lanka’s batting order looked massively shaky once again and it was not a hard task for the number one team in the world to pick up the wickets. Amidst the poor display of batting, Upul Tharanga rose to the occasion and looked as the only ray of hope in the Sri Lankan inning. The batsman brought up a quick fire 50 off just 44 balls while the wickets continued to go down on the other end. Tharanga was unfortunate to get out in an unlucky manner. He played a ball to the forward short leg fielder and the ball was quickly returned to the wicketkeeper. Tharanga made it back to the crease with a desperate dive but Wriddhiman Saha knocked down the stumps. On a closer look, it was revealed that though Tharanga made it back his bat was not touching the ground when Wridhhiman’s hand came in contact with the stumps to dislodge the. Tharanga had to make his way back to the pavilion scoring 64 runs. Angelo Mathews is still at the crease with Niroshan Dickwella by his side. The former skipper has already brought up his 50 and it is now on him to stabilize the Sri Lankan inning. Mathews remains not out on 54 at the end of day’s play.

5. India’s day (5 wickets)

Visitors India has been dominant throughout the day and is clearly on the driving seat. After putting up a staggering total of 600 runs on the board, the bowlers put forward a tremendous effort to pick up 5 wickets on the day. The Sri Lankan inning stands at 154/5 as Virat Kohli and his men look the favourites to grab the Test match. Shami got 2 wickets to his name while Umesh and Ashwin chipped in with one each. We can safely conclude that it has been India’s Test so far as Ravi Shastri is on his way to begin his second spell as the Indian head coach with a win.