Colombo: How India managed to survive the first hour, without adding to the casualty list after Ravichandran Ashwin, is a tale of fortune generously showering gifts on them. Both Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra rode truckloads of luck to give India’s first-innings bid a sense of respectability, as their 46-run partnership helped India post 393.
With the addition of two more runs to the overnight tally of 319 runs, Ravichandran Ashwin floundered, driving loosely at a ball he had no business to interfere on its course to the keeper. Even if he did, he could have placed it better, other than spooning it to the cover fielder. Since the second of two centuries against the West Indies in 2013, his returns have been diminishing, his 17 innings thereafter coming at an average of 21.61.
Saha would have been dismissed at the same score. Dhammika Prasad, the all-season workhorse, brushed his off-stump without dislodging the bail. Then off Angelo Mathews, he survived a caught-behind appeal, thanks to the third umpire who doubted keeper Dinesh Chandimal hadn’t taken the ball on full. Mishra, meanwhile, clearly edged to Chandimal, but the umpire didn’t detect the edge. Likewise, edges evaded the fielder multiple times and under edges flew without disrupting the stumps. Mishra chanced his way to 24 with the help of three boundaries before Dushmantha Chameera ended the stay and 46-run partnership. Saha wasn’t entirely convincing either, but clung on and capitalised on the loose balls served up Tharindu Kaushal. He reverse swept him to reach 49 before completing his 50 with a single down long-on. Another little plucky innings to go with his first-innings half century in Galle.
But soon after lunch, India caved, with Rangana Herath winkling out Saha and Ishant Sharma to contain India seven run short of 400.
In reply, Sri Lanka began on disastrous note, losing Dimuth Karunaratne in the second over, nailed by Umesh Yadav in front. Whether the ball would have struck the stumps was questionable it seemed to shape inward to the left-hander.
But Kumar Sangakkara and Kaushal Silva revived the hosts, albeit with luck. Umesh welcomed Sangakkara with an inswinging yorker before troubling with an outside the off-stump line. Twice in the same over was he beaten. From the other end, Ishant too beat him a couple of times. He was then dropped on 24 by Ajinkya Rahane at first slip, off Ravichandran Ashwin.
Meanwhile, Binny had Silva caught behind but for the third umpire to overturn the decision as he had over-stepped. Tenuously, they survived until tea, with the score reading 65 for 1.