India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 5, Highlights: SL escape after Kohli, Bhuvneshwar heroics

The first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens ended in a thrilling draw, with the hosts almost sealing an unlikely win. Resuming at 171/1, India set Sri Lanka a target of 231 -- courtesy Virat Kohli’s 50th international ton. In reply, the visitors were blown away by an outstanding spell of bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar but bad light played spoilsport as the match ended in a draw. Get highlights of India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 5, Kolkata, here. (SCORECARD)

16:51 hrs IST: That’s it. Thank you for joining us. Until next time, it’s goodbye. Cheers!

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Man of the Match): “Frankly speaking, it was tougher to bowl in the second innings as the surface was a lot drier,” he says. “But the ball was reversing, so that helped. When I made my debut, I was totally dependent on swing. International circuit tells you what you need to improve on. I worked hard on my fitness and that is paying off. We believed we could win. Virat said ‘Imagine we’re in this situation overseas. If we get two-three wickets early, it won’t be easy for them.”

Virat Kohli: “It was important to make something out of the game with whatever time we had. Conditions changed drastically over the five days. We had to show character, having been on the backfoot on day one and day two. Credit to Sri Lanka. The team showed a lot of character. We didn’t look at the batting collapse. We believed in our strengths. If you didn’t have intent on this wicket, it would’ve been difficult to survive. That was the key. If we got enough good balls in the right areas, it would’ve been tough. All in all, we’re proud of how we finished. Bhuvneshwar is a massive contender to start in every Test for India, he’ll be a vital part of our plans, especially overseas.”

Dinesh Chandimal: “In these kind of conditions, toss was crucial. We fought hard and competed well. Till the last session, we fought well and played as a team. Unfortunately, the last 10-15 overs brought a lot of pressure but we played good cricket and competed well. Lakmal is unbelievable, especially over the last one or two years. He’s one who you can trust as a captain.”

16:27 hrs IST: And that’s it. They’re going off. The match is drawn. What a performance from India! Deserved a victory here!

16:21 hrs IST: Rangana Herath is the next man in. He scored a fifty in the first innings.

16:19 hrs IST: OUT! Bhuvi’s love affair with the Eden Gardens continues. India need three wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

16:11 hrs IST: OUT! What’s happening out there. Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella.

16:09 hrs IST: Time ticking by. Could be stumps anytime soon.

16:02 hrs IST: Dickwella survives a close call. Sri Lanka 69/5.

15:55 hrs IST: OUT! Shami strikes again. Fully deserves this scalp. Gets Dinesh Chandimal with a reverse swinging delivery. Sri Lanka 69/5.

15:52 hrs IST: Lights turned on at the Eden Gardens. Draw for sure now!

15:45 hrs IST: Dickwella is taking too long to take strike. Kohli is miffed!

15:38 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar in second innings: 8-5-8-2. Incredible! Can’t get any better. Sri Lanka are 62/4. Time for drinks.

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15:25 hrs IST: Tough to believe the light might not be as good in another hour or so.

15:19 hrs IST: SIX! Short delivery from Shami, Dickwella gets into position and smacks it over fine leg boundary for a maximum.

15:16 hrs IST: No chance of a spinner bowling here. Expect Bhuvi and Co to finish the job for the hosts.

15:11 hrs IST: India need six wickets. With just 90 minutes remaining, it will be interesting to see whether India can take the remaining wickets quickly. Basically, they need a scalp every 15 minutes.

15:08 hrs IST: OUT! Umesh Yadav among the wickets now. Danger-man Angelo Mathews departs. Sri Lanka in all sorts of trouble.

15:01 hrs IST: Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews will have to be extra cautious now. Another wicket here can spell doom for them. Sri Lanka 17/3

14:56 hrs IST: India will surely go for the kill from here with seven wickets remaining between them and a sensational victory. Sri Lanka 16/3

14:52 hrs IST: OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes once again as Lahiru Thirimane is caught in the slips for 7. Sri Lanka 14/3

14:50 hrs IST: Wide outside the off-stump and Lahiru Thirimane had no problem in dispatching it to the boundary. Sri Lanka 13/2

14:47 hrs IST: Umesh Yadav to start proceedings for India in the final session. SL 8/2

14:25 hrs IST: And that’s tea. So India have showed what they are capable of. Join us in another 20 minutes.

14:17 hrs IST: Three maidens on the trot from Bhuvi and Shami. Sri Lanka 2/2.

14:11 hrs IST: OUT! This is absolutely brilliant stuff from Indian seamers. Mohammed Shami joins the party, removes Dimuth Karunaratne. Sri Lanka 2/2, chasing 231

14:05 hrs IST: Bold declaration from Kohli. Shows he has complete faith in his seamers. India on top here. A win would be one of the best in the last few years in the longest format.

13:59 hrs IST: WICKET! Bhuvneshwar strikes, gets rid of Samarawickrama. Just the kind of start India would’ve wanted. Lahiru Thirimanne is the next man in.

13:55 hrs IST: Sri Lanka’s openers are out in the middle. Bhuvi to bowl the first over.

13:45 hrs IST: SIX! What a way to bring up a hundred. Virat Kohli - you beauty! 18th Test and 50th international ton. And with this, India declare at 352/8. Sri Lanka need 231 runs to win their first ever Test in India. Join us in 10 minutes for an enthralling chase.

18th Test century for @imVkohli followed by the declaration. Sri Lanka need 231 runs to win the 1st Test #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/J0Lqp650SZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 20, 2017

13:40 hrs IST: Two boundaries for Shami. Five more runs for Kohli’s hundred which will possibly mean India’s declaration. They are 344/8, lead by 222 runs.

13:36 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Kohli, moves to 95. India are 333/8, lead by 211 runs.

13:33 hrs IST: SIX! Banged! Length ball from Lakmal, asking to be hit, and Kohli dispatches it over long off boundary for a maximum.

13:28 hrs IST: OUT! Bhuvneshwar c Dilruwan Perera b Gamage 8(18). Shami comes to the crease.

13:22 hrs IST: FOUR! Short of a length delivery from Lakmal, Bhuvi backs away and times it well towards the cover point boundary. India are 321/7, lead by 199. Time for drinks.

13:16 hrs IST: FOUR! Kohli shuffles forward and flicks it past the mid-on region. Brave shot! India are 314/7, lead by 192 runs.

13:12 hrs IST: FOUR! Kohli at his very best. Too full from Lakmal, not enough movement, and the Indian skipper drives it straight down the ground. India are 301/7, lead by 179.

13:05 hrs IST: Officially, 57 overs are left in the game.

12:58 hrs IST: Sri Lanka have taken the second new ball. Suranga Lakmal now.

12:53 hrs IST: OUT! What a spell this has been from Sri Lankan bowlers. Simply brilliant! Shanaka strikes again, gets rid of the local boy Saha. Sri Lanka need three more wickets to bowl out India, who lead by 159.

12:40 hrs IST: Kohli’s innings assumes importance in the light of the fact that it could be the one that helps India save the Test.

12:33 hrs IST: OUT! Shanaka gets Ashwin. Wriddhiman Saha is the next man in.

12:29 hrs IST: Without rain, Sri Lanka would have had India in real trouble. Now here, if the hosts don’t lose wickets in the next one hour, it’s a draw.

12:24 hrs IST: FOUR! And that’s fifty for Virat Kohli, 15th in Tests and maiden at the Eden Gardens. Brilliant innings from the Indian skipper!

12:18 hrs IST: The spinners have bowled nine overs so far, in this match.

12:12 hrs IST: Welcome back! Ashwin to take strike. Shanaka to start the proceedings.

11:31 hrs IST: And that’s lunch. Good session for the visitors. Four wickets. Can they spring a surprise? Join us in another 40 minutes for now.

11:20 hrs IST: Lakmal back for another short spell before lunch. Can he get another wicket?

11:17 hrs IST: OUT! Jadeja departs as Dilruwan Perera fools him with extra bounce. India 249/5, lead by 127 runs. Ashwin is the next man in.

11:12 hrs IST: A bold move by India to bring Ravindra Jadeja up the batting order. India 247/4, lead by 125 runs.

11:07 hrs IST: Dilruwan Perera comes into the attack.

11:04 hrs IST: FOUR! Gentle half-volley from Shanaka and Kohli drives it to long on boundary. Waiting to be punished!

11:00 hrs IST: FOUR! Short and wide from Gamage and Kohli slaps it to the point boundary. As good as it gets! And Lakmal is back on the field.

10:55 hrs IST: There are 79 more overs scheduled for today.

10:49 hrs IST: Kohli needs to hang in here, at least for the next two hours. India are 229/4, lead by 107 runs.

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10:41 hrs IST: FOUR! Good length ball from Shanaka, Kohli leans forward and drives it past short cover for his second boundary. India are 224/4, lead by 102 runs.

10:37 hrs IST: Here comes the first change in bowling - Dasun Shanaka replaces Suranga Lakmal.

10:32 hrs IST: The next hour will be crucial. If Sri Lanka can get Kohli, they’ll have a good chance of restricting to under 300.

10:28 hrs IST: Get a feeling India are a batsman short in this Test. Of course, Ashwin, Saha and Bhuvi can bat but Rohit Sharma could have been a good option.

10:23 hrs IST: Lahir Gamage sticking to the right lengths. Excellent over from him, just two runs off it. India are 215/4, lead by 93 runs.

10:18 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja is the next man in. India looking for big overs.

10:16 hrs IST: OUT! This is absolutely brilliant stuff from Lakmal. Rahane goes. Sri Lanka well on top. Can Kohli guide his team to a draw?

10:12 hrs IST: WICKET! Good length ball from Lakmal, bounces a bit, Pujara looks to defend but the balls hits the edge of his bat and Dilruwan Perera takes a good low catch at gully. Ajinkya Rahane is the next man in.

10:06 hrs IST: Only 10 runs in the last four overs. Slow but steady progress! India are 209/2, lead by 87 runs.

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09:56 hrs IST: India should look to build a lead of around 250 in the next 35 overs or so. Sri Lanka could find a big challenge chasing this. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will definitely come into play.

09:52 hrs IST: Meanwhile, the new Perth stadium will host this international match in January next year. December’s Ashes Test is likely to be the last marquee game at the WACA.

09:47 hrs IST: FOUR! Straying down leg and the Indian skipper tucks it towards fine leg boundary. Good over for the hosts, seven runs off it. India are 199/2, lead by 77 runs.

09:42 hrs IST: Two maidens in a row from Sri Lanka, but that won’t help. The visitors need quick wickets to have a chance of registering their first win in India.

09:37 hrs IST: OUT! KL Rahul falls short of a well-deserved century. Looks to flick but an inswinger from Lakmal nails his stumps. Virat Kohli comes to the crease.

09:33 hrs IST: And we have a minimum of 83 overs or 3.45 pm for today.

09:29 hrs IST: If the hosts can play out the first session without losing many wickets, the match will most likely end in a draw.

09:24 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries for Cheteshwar Pujara. Looks in top form! India 188/1

09:20 hrs IST: Straight down the ground and KL Rahul looks extremely comfortable out in the middle. The Karnataka lad deserves a century. India 179/1

09:17 hrs IST: Three balls from Dasun Shanaka and as many singles. India 174/1, lead by 52 runs. Suranga Lakmal now. Can he strike early?

09:14 hrs IST: It’s time for live action. Rahul and Pujara make their way out in the middle, and so do the Sri Lankan players.

09:04 hrs IST: “It (Pitch) is pretty good. The grass is gone, a couple of spots are opening up. It is around middle and off. I don’t think the crack is going to open up in a major way. But the odd ball might keep up and down.” - Simon Doull and Sunil Gavaskar

08:49 hrs IST: The probability of a dull draw looms large. Can we see a magical performance from any of the teams?

08:36 hrs IST: In conditions best for batting so far, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul added 166, erasing the 122-run deficit en route after Sri Lanka were stopped on 294 with Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking four wickets each and Umesh Yadav the rest. This is the first time since 1983 that all wickets went to Indian pacers at home.

08:20 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK - Cheteshwar Pujara needs to play just one ball to become the third Indian and ninth player overall to bat on all the five days of a Test.

08:05 hrs IST: Good morning and welcome to HT’s live coverage of the fifth and the final day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.

Cheteshwar Pujara, on two, was batting alongside Rahul, on 73, when bad light ended an absorbing fourth day’s play at the Eden Gardens. (DAY 4 REPORT)

Earlier, Dhawan and Rahul put together a 166-run stand before the former fell to paceman Dasun Shanaka for 94. In-form Rahul registered his ninth score of 50-plus runs in the last 11 innings.

The two batsmen smashed 19 boundaries between them, including two sixes from Dhawan, forcing Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal to juggle his bowling options.

Dasun Shanaka, with little time left for the day to end, denied Dhawan what would have been the batsman’s seventh Test hundred in 27 matches.

In the morning session, Sri Lanka, who started the day on 165/4, suffered a middle-order stutter before Rangana Herath (67) put on stubborn partnerships against a persistent pace attack. The visitors ultimately finished on 294, with a lead of 122 runs.