(ESPNCRICINFO) – Sonal Dinusha was fighting a lone battle unbeaten on 85 as play came to a close on day three, Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind India’s 503 for 9 declared, with just two wickets in hand. At the crease alongside him was Lahiru Kumara, who had done well to hold his own during a 50-ball vigil for eight runs.
Dinusha’s fifty was his third such score in this series as he showcased the resolve that had been sorely lacking across Sri Lanka’s innings – he was one of only five batters to face at least than 50 deliveries in the innings, of which two of them were certified tailenders in Kumara and Keshara Nuwantha.
For India, it was Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar that did a majority of the damage with both picking up three wickets apiece.
But what would be even more frustrating for the hosts, is that India’s bowlers had for the most part not really done enough to merit such a batting capitulation.
Kamil Mishara received a spicy bouncer from Krishna, one he could only fend through to Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps, while on the second evening both Lahiru Udara and Prabath Jayasuriya can claim bad light had impaired them.
But the rest of Sri Lanka’s batters fell almost exclusively against the run of play. Kamindu Mendis looked excellent until he swatted a pull straight to midwicket, Pasindu Sooriyabandara chopped on a non-threatening quicker one from Ravindra Jadeja, while Niroshan Dickwella tickled one down leg to Jurel for a three-ball duck.
Even Keshara, who had done so well to hang with Dinusha, lofted an ambitious inside out drive of Suthar to mid-off.
But amidst those moments, there were periods where Sri Lanka looked good on a pitch that had not deteriorated quite as fast as expected. The most prominent of these was when Sooriyabandara was out in the middle.
His 87-run stand for the fourth wicket with Kamindu was the best of the Sri Lankan innings, with both batters looking untroubled during their stay. Having weathered Krishna’s attacking early burst, the pair capitalised on India’s lacklustre spin-bowling efforts.
Sooriyabandara in particular showed adeptness at using the depth of the crease, frequently cutting late, while also employing the sweep effectively. But it would be Krishna that delivered the breakthrough once again, persisting with a hard length as Kamindu picked out midwicket with acres of space around him.
Dhananjaya de Silva joined him after that but the Sri Lankan skipper arrived just as India got their act together after lunch. This period was far more focused and it led to a lovely Suthar delivery that kissed the outside edge on Dhananjaya’s forward defence, a tough break for one of Sri Lanka’s better players of spin.
This brought Dinusha to the crease and once more Sri Lanka’s batters looked in command, but after 62-ball stand of 34, Sooriyabandara chopped one on from Jadeja. At 94kph, it was quicker than the deliveries that had preceded it, but Sooriyabandara who had fought hard for his 80 off 133 – especially having been out for a golden duck on his debut last time out – would have been miffed at being dismissed in such a manner.
