India vs Sri Lanka: Hosts would look to score 650, before having a go at visitors for last few overs on Day 2

What should India do on Day 2 of the Delhi Test? Well, the answer to that would be obvious, isn't it? Virat Kohli is at the crease, not too far away from another, yes another double century. Giving him company is his good friend and fellow batting maestro Rohit Sharma. India are sitting pretty having pummeled the hapless Sri Lankan attack for nearly 400 on the first day itself, and barring something totally extraordinary, the visitors would again be staring at a 600-plus score, one feels.

Indian captain Virat Kohli calls for a run during Day 1 of the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka in Delhi. AP

It was again a day that saw the Indians feasting on the Sri Lankan bowling that clearly was easy meat, and both Murali Vijay and Kohli made their way to 150s. The Indian captain keeps getting to milestones and smashing records with such unbelievable regularity that it is surreal. His 20th Test ton on Saturday also made him the the first international captain to hit a hat-trick of centuries in a three-Test series. His near-run-a-ball fifty was also his fastest in the longest form of the game. Kohli also brought up 3,000 runs as a Test captain.

Vijay, on the other hand, looks to have hit the straps instantly after his return to the team and seems to be in prime form. His 155 on Saturday followed his 128 in the previous Test in Nagpur. Immediately before that, he had struck a century in a Ranji Trophy match against Odisha. So it was a hat-trick of centuries for Vijay too.

Vijay and Kohli piled on nearly 300 runs with the least of an effort as the Lankans looked a set of bowler no better than a club side, totally out of place in the international arena. Such was the mediocrity of the visitors' bowling attack that Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane – who has hit bit of a rut of late – would be cursing themselves for missing out.

All that India need to do on Sunday is to score and score heavily; ideally bat two-and-a-half sessions and put up 650 runs on the board, and then letting the Lankans bat for 15 or so overs in fading light in the Delhi winter. The mountain of runs behind them would be an incentive for Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami to run in at pace and send down some hostile overs, before the spin twins, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are brought in for the last five-seven overs.

Day 1 ordinarily is too early to predict which way a Test match is headed, but such has been India's dominance already, and over the home season, and particularly given the gulf in the quality of the two sides, Virat Kohli and Co may already have started sensing a victory! It is now for them to not spurn the opportunity.

Published Date: Dec 03, 2017 07:00 am | Updated Date: Dec 03, 2017 05:30 am