India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: Highlights

Suranga Lakmal bagged 3/0 to leave India reeling at 17/3 on a rain-hit first day with only 11.5 overs possible.

IndiaToday.in  | Posted by Jepher Christopher Nickels
November 16, 2017 | UPDATED 22:43 IST
BCCI PhotoBCCI Photo

Suranga Lakmal (3/0) breathed fire on a green track to rock India on a stop-start opening day of the rain-hit first Test. (Scorecard)

India 1st Innings:

16:19 IST: STUMPS! That's it for the day, then! Today's play gave a feeling as if the long commercials robbed us of a wonderful blockbuster. Right from the toss to almost having India on the mats, everything went right for the tourists. Suranga Lakmal, by appearance, doesn't even come close to the pace bowling greats that the sport has witnessed yet he has done something that nobody imagined. In helpful conditions, Lakmal began on the right note by snapping KL Rahul right off the first delivery of the game. With his confidence sky high, he made the ball talk and had the Indian batsmen hopping and shoving. Apart from Shikhar Dhawan, who perished to a shot that he could have done without, the other two wickets were a result of persistent lines and lengths. India would be shell-shocked with what has transpired till now. Owing to rains, that ate away most of the day, we could only have 11.5 overs of play. The hosts would look to come with greater resolve and intent tomorrow and look to put up a respectable total on the board. The forecast for Day 2 doesn't look too promising as well. Do join us for what promises to be another wet yet exciting day of cricket.

16:09 IST: The covers are coming on, although it's not raining. The light has not improved and it looks unlikely that we will get any more play today.

15:38 IST: BAD LIGHT STOPS PLAY! The umpires are together again. The light is degrading, it seems. They are taking the reading. It's quite dark to be honest. The batsmen walk off. Now, the Lankan players are going off, reluctantly. India 17/3 (11.5 overs) vs Sri Lanka

15:37 IST: 11.5: L Gamage to Pujara, Oohhhh...that beat the outside edge by a whisker. First real great delivery by Gamage. He angles in a full length just around off, Pujara tries playing it with a straight bat but it curves away to miss the bat. That wasn't too far from the off stump either.

BCCI Photo

15:29 IST: WICKET! 10.1: S Lakmal to Kohli. It's clipping the leg stump and hence the umpire's call will stay. The Indian skipper bags a rare duck. Massive breakthrough for Sri Lanka and they are absolutely delighted. Lakmal is on fire today. He has not conceded a single run today and has hunted down his third wicket now. India in a spot of bother.

15:28 IST: Shout for an lbw against Virat Kohli! Up goes the finger. Virat Kohli has a chat with his partner and takes the referral. Is it missing leg?

15.20 IST: The players are taking the field.  Four slips, a gully in place. Also there is an extra cover. Final session of the Day.

15.08 IST: Tea has been taken as rain persists at Eden.

14:32 IST: In fact, it has started to drizzle now as the covers come on. Doesn't look too promising, folks. Let's see how many more overs we will get today.

14:27 IST: The umpires get together. It has got really dark out there. They have decided that the light is not conducive enough to carry on. The players are going back to the pavilion. India 17/2 (8.2 overs) vs Sri Lanka

14:23 IST: Cheteshwar Pujara is complaining about something. Maybe, some movement near the sightscreen.

14:21 IST: 7.4: L Gamage to Pujara, Beaten! Good reply from the bowler. Hurls it on a length just outside off and it curls away, Pujara pokes at it without moving his feet and gets beaten.

14:15 IST: WICKET! 6.2: S Lakmal to Dhawan! Dhawan has chopped it on! He goes for an expansive drive to a length ball nipping back into him. Gets a big inside edge and has his stumps shattered. Shikhar won't be too happy with that shot selection. Lakmal, in the meantime, is all smiles. He has provided Sri Lanka a brilliant start. India at the moment are little stunned. India 13/2 (6.2 overs) vs Sri Lanka

14:09 IST: 5.2: L Gamage to C Pujara, FOUR! Off the mark in an edgy manner. Good length delivery outside off, Pujara has a tame push inside the line, not much footwork and it races away off the outside edge past the diving third slip fielder.

14:02 IST: NOT OUT! 3.4: L Gamage to Dhawan, Stifled appeal for an lbw! An ambitious one. Full and drifting down the leg side, Dhawan tries to flick but misses. He is rapped on the pads, the Sri Lankan fielders get excited but nothing doing. Missing the leg stump easily.

13:56 IST: 2.1: S Lakmal to Dhawan, Leg bye. This would have been a brilliant delivery to a right-handed batsman. But it's on the pads of Dhawan. Full and swinging down, he fails to flick and it goes off his pads behind square leg. They cross for a leg bye.

13:52 IST: 1.1: L Gamage to Dhawan, A touch short in length, too straight in line. First runs for India as Dhawan moves back and taps it down in front of square leg for a single.

13:50 IST: Lahiru Gamage to share the new cherry from the other end. Three slips and a gully for Dhawan.

13:43 IST: WICKET! 0.1: S Lakmal to Rahul! What a nasty one to get first up! Brilliant from Lakmal. He bowls it right on the money. A length delivery angling into the batsman, nipping away a shade after pitching. Rahul has to play the trajectory, tries to get behind the line but the movement and some extra bounce bring his downfall. It takes a tiny edge off the shoulder of the bat and goes behind to the keeper. Dickwella catches it, appeals and up goes the finger. A golden duck for KL. What a start for Sri Lanka!

13:42 IST: The Sri Lankan players are in a huddle, again. The Indian openers walk to the centre. Suranga Lakmal has the new cherry as he will kickoff the proceedings. Three slips and a gully in place. KL Rahul on strike.

13:40 IST: Some cheer from the crowd! The covers are going off now. Seems we will get underway sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed.

13:33 IST: Hang on, IT'S DRIZZLING! The players are given the marching orders and they are heading back to the pavilion. The covers are coming on.

13:29 IST: VVS Laxman rings the bell to mark the beginning of this Test match. Out come the Indian openers, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. The floodlights are switched on.

13:28 IST: National anthem time. The players from both sides are in the middle. Sri Lanka first, followed by India's.

13:10 IST: TEAMS!

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage

13:01 IST: TOSS! Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to bowl vs India.

12:58 IST: The covers have been removed fully and toss will take place at 13:00 IST.

11:26 IST: The groundsmen and supersoppers are at work but some part of the ground is still covered. Early lunch has been taken. Umpires to have another inspection post lunch, i.e. 12:10 IST.

11:09 IST: The covers are coming off finally but there is still slight drizzle at the moment.

09:52 IST: It has started to rain again and the the covers are back on.

09:48 IST: The groundsmen are taking the covers off now.

09:00 IST: The toss has been delayed due to rain. Full ground is covered.

Test specialists will be back in focus when India take on Sri Lanka in the first of the three-match series starting in Kolkata today.

While Virat Kohli-led India would look to continue their ruthless streak, Sri Lanka would want to forget the annihilation suffered at home and chase what has been an improbable dream of winning a Test on Indian soil.

There is a possibility of rain threat after home team's morning practice session was called off after a spell of shower. The Met department has predicted rain till November 18 and the series-opener may be a curtailed affair.

Murali Vijay is back after recovering from a wrist injury that had left him out of the Sri Lanka tour. The Tamil Nadu opener is confident after his 140 against Odisha in Cuttack but was not seen much in action during practice, an indication that Kohli may stick to Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul up front. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored two centuries in Sri Lanka, not only gives the Indian batting solidity but has a calming effect on the team with his penchant for marathon innings. Further down, skipper Kohli will be desperate to be back among runs after getting only one second innings hundred against Sri Lanka at Galle (103).

In the middle order, Ajinkya Rahane too was among runs with a century and a fifty in Sri Lanka. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, who has been rested, R Ashwin will look to shoulder the responsibility in batting.

Most sides have found off-spinner Ashwin and left-armer Ravindra Jadeja too hot to handle but Sri Lanka might be in for an even rougher ride with the pair likely keen to prove a point after being overlooked by selectors for India's limited-overs sides.

The Islanders have not won a single Test in 17 appearances over 35 years (they first played in India in 1982) and travel with an inexperienced side will make the task onerous for skipper Dinesh Chandimal. He will bank heavily on Angelo Mathews and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath -- the two senior members who were part of the side which travelled here in 2009.

SQUADS:

India: Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma.

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella (wicket-keeper), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Dasun Shanaka and Roshen Silva.