COLOMBO: A gritty, unbeaten hundred by Cheteshwar Pujara steered India to a reasonably competitive position at tea. On a wicket that has initially assisted seamers and now starting to help the spinners, the team-time total of 220 for 7 looks more than handful.
But India began tentatively. Virat Kohli floundered in the seventh over of the day, but he could have departed much earlier—twice in the first over did Nigel Llong disapprove Dhammika Prasad’s pleas. On both instances, Kohli was hoodwinked by the in-dipper. The first shout seemed more or less straightforward, but Llong might have felt it was going over. The second one was marginally struck outside the off-stump. He then beat his outside edge, as Kohli indecisive in judging the length and movement of the ball. Finally, skipper Angelo Mathews took his edge with a delivery that swung away marginally.
Pujara too was edgy to begin—stuck in the crease and uncertain in leaving ball-- but he killed the nerves to blunt the persevering Sri Lanka. With the ball still seaming, Indians were content surviving than attacking. Prasad especially maintained an impeccable length, and made the ball seam both ways. Nuwan Pradeep, though, wasted the early assistance on offer, as he bowled way too outside the off-stump. Even in the spell in the lead-up to lunch, with the sun drying out the moisture and the ball slightly abrade, Prasad kept testing the Indian batsmen.
The introduction of spinners gave them more freedom to thread the gaps. Rohit lofted Rangana Herath over mid-on, the ball just evading a leaping Nuwan Pradeep, before he drove his through covers and thumped him for a six. Pujara, meanwhile, tucked into off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal, creaming him for three boundaries in his first over. He then completed his seventh half-century with a clip off his pads.
But Dhammika dismissed Rohit Sharma at the stroke of lunch to bring Sri Lanka back into the game. First ball after lunch, Prasad took out Stuart Binny, nailed adjacent on the crease. Followed a passage of resistance from Pujara and Naman Ojha, their partnership yielding 54 runs before Ojha holed out to long on off Kaushal. India were in further hole when Prasad struck with the first ball of his new spell, luring Ravichandran Ashwin’s edge to the keeper. But with Mishra, he added another 40 runs to help India cross the 200-run mark.