Colombo: The series between India and Sri Lanka is to be decided on the pitch of Sinhalese Sports Club. The toss went in favour of India and tutorage Shubman Gill chose to bat without thinking. The start was not good, but what happened without that was no less than a headache for the Sri Lankan bowlers; Devdutt Padikkal and Gill together widow 120 runs, and by tea time the scoreboard was flashing 187/3.
How did the first two wickets fall?
Matters worsened in the tenth over itself. KL Rahul was unprotected by the keeper on the wittiness of Lahiru Kumara on the score of 18. It didn't take long and Yashasvi Jaiswal was gone too – bowled by Asitha Fernando without scoring 45 runs off 53 balls. By lunch, India had lost two wickets and scored 88 runs.
How did Padikkal-Gill handle the innings?
Padikkal and Gill, who came on the field without lunch, avoided risky shots. Both of them gave time to the ball, maintained the run pace and slowly kept moving the scoreboard forward. This trend is not new for Padikkal – he had scored 167 runs in the last Test in Galle, and here too he looked in the same rhythm.
How did Gill's wicket fall?
Gill completed his half-century with the help of six fours in 108 balls, but luck ran out just surpassing tea. Asitha sat firmly on Fernando's outgoing wittiness and was unprotected at slip. The third wicket fell at the score of 187, and the Padikkal-Gill partnership came to an end there.
Did this partnership turn the match?
India was definitely under pressure without the fall of two quick wickets, but this 120-run partnership completely reverted the situation. Sri Lankan bowlers kept yearning for wickets, and India did not plane let the run rate fall during this period.
What reverted in the team?
Kuldeep Yadav was sat out, with Saransh Jain getting the Test cap in his place. The team management is not permitting Kuldeep to remain fully fit. With the inrush of Saransh, the depth in batting moreover increased and an spare option of spin was moreover available.
What happened in the first test?
India had defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle, scoring 462 runs in the first innings, in which Padikkal's innings of 167 runs was the biggest attraction. With this win, India is leading 1-0 in the series.
How difficult is it for Sri Lanka to make a comeback?
The difficulty is quite big. Kusal Mendis is out with a hamstring injury, Dinesh Chandimal Galle is ruled out due to the concussion he sustained in the Test, and Pathum Nissanka is moreover not fit. That ways Sri Lanka has come without its three main batsmen, and hopes are pinned on the young players only.
Where are India's vision now?
The lead has once been gained by winning the first test. In Colombo too, the team has recovered from the initial setbacks and has reached a strong position. Now the effort is to reach a big score so that the pressure on Sri Lanka increases and the series can be completely captured.
