India vs Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Day 2: Sri Lanka 131/3 at stumps after India post 536/7 declared

Indian team celebrate wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne on Day 2. (Source: PTI)

India continued their dominance on Sri Lanka, who were 131 for three at close on the second day of the third Test, after the hosts declared their first innings at 536/7 in Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi on Sunday. Virat Kohli hit a career-best 243 even but the attention and focus shifted from India’s dominance and the Indian skipper’s sixth double hundred to the Delhi smog. With the conditions far from ideal for cricket, Sri Lanka complained multiple times of being unable to continue causing multiple interruptions and needing the match referee and third umpire to step in to intervene on a tricky situation. Clearly irritated with numerous stoppages, Kohli called his teammates back to declare at 536/7. In reply, India got a blistering start with the ball provided by Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma who put Sri Lanka two-down at Tea. In the final session, India failed to grab on to two chances at slips to play things into Sri Lanka’s hands. Here are the key updates from the second day of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka.

Highlights:

1645 hrs IST: We get an extended period of play on Day 2 before fading light stopped play. Sri Lanka are 131/3 at stumps with Dinesh Chandimal on 25 and Angelo Mathews on 57. Sri Lanka trail by 405 runs

1605 hrs IST: Back-to-back sixes from Mathews with two thumping hits after coming down the track. And with the second, it brings up his 29th Test fifty. Sri Lanka into attacking mode now

1540 hrs IST: GONE! Jadeja urges skipper Kohli to go for the review after trapping Dilruwan Perera. But he’s come far down the pitch to be given out. Surely that’s either going over or more than 3 metre threshold. Doesn’t get far enough to the pitch of the ball and is caught pad first. And it results in three reds! What a review. On further looking, it is confirmed that Perera was 2.99 metres from the line. Just 0.01 metres more and it would have been not out. Talk about thin margins.

1525 hrs IST: Ishant Sharma’s family in attendance at the Feroz Shah Kotla. He has already bagged one. Can he get another?

1505 hrs IST: Amid these multiple catches dropped in the slips, worth reading what India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said on the slip fielding issue prior to start of the series.

1449 hrs IST: Another one dropped, this time by Virat Kohli. Dhawan was replaced from second slip after that error with skipper Virat Kohli taking his place and now he has let a chance go begging. Angelo Mathews benefits from the mistake.

1436 hrs IST: DROPPED AND IT HITS THE HELMET! Dilruwan Perera plays away from his body and gets a big outside edge which flies towards first slip but Dhawan moves in from second slip and lets it go in the process. To add salt to Shami’s wounds, it has hit the helmet and resulted in five penalty runs

1430 hrs IST: Sri Lanka resume the final session of play on a bright note. Get a boundary in the first over but also see the ball almost carry to Ravindra Jadeja.

1420 hrs IST: TEA! India go into the Tea break the better off of the two sides. They have Sri Lanka at 18/2 and pressure on the visitors – physically and mentally. India are in full attack mode as the forced declaration showed and they’ve justified that decision

1405 hrs IST: WICKET! Ishant Sharma strikes to remove Dhananjaya de Silva. The seamer has de Silva caught leg before. Thinks about going for the review but eventually decides not to. 

1400 hrs IST: Dropped? No. Didn’t carry to Pujara in the slips. Nipped away from the length to take the outside edge. It doesn’t carry to first slip and Perera would count his lucky stars.

1340 hrs IST: First ball of the innings and Karunaratne opens the face of the bat ever so slightly with the ball seaming away. Round the wicket from Shami and it is a sublime delivery that hit the pitch hard on a short of length and picks out a thin edge behind for Saha to take. What a beauty to get things underway

1334 hrs IST: Post lunch session has been incredibly absurd. Multiple disruptions with Sri Lanka players complaining of smog, following the delays Ashwin fell and because of it, as did Kohli. A 16-minute delay to start things off with Gamage huffing and puffing. Chandimal and Mathews wore face masks. Sri Lanka manager, then Ravi Shastri and then Nic Pothas got involved. Eventually, Virat Kohli and team management chose to put things to rest by coming out and bowling themselves. With that, India declared at 536/7. For blow-by-blow recap of the post-lunch session, read here.

1326 hrs IST: Looks like an angry and irate India captain Virat Kohli has declared. Sri Lanka players walk off the field. Kohli gestures to Jadeja and Saha that we’re going to bowl and calls them back. India have declared at 536/7.

1325 hrs IST: This is strange stuff. Sri Lanka have ten players in the field at the moment. Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas comes on now to have a chat with the umpires.

1315 hrs IST: After Gamage, now Lakmal walks off the field. Not waiting for the physio to tend to him either. Another chat ensues between umpires and Chandimal. Sri Lanka manager comes on to explain the situation to the umpires and also walks on Ravi Shastri. Quick chat with the umpires for the Indian coach as well. And play to continue…

1305 hrs IST: WICKET! Virat Kohli departs leg before to Sandakan. Went on the back foot after the ball stayed low and there is no inside edge. Kohli discusses with Saha and then goes for the review. It is in line and going on to hit the leg stump. The on-field decision stands. More a case of drop in concentration than anything else. The Delhi crowd gives hometown boy a standing ovation after stunned silence

1300 hrs IST: Once again, there is a stoppage. Gamage gets treatment from the physio. He gestures to the skipper Chandimal that he can’t continue and he goes off. Not good signs and something for match referee Boon to ponder over. This is a tricky situation though. India and Kohli not too keen on walking off.

1250 hrs IST: WICKET! On the first delivery after the delay, R Ashwin falls to a poor shot. It was wide and way outside off, Ashwin goes to slash it but it is a tame effort and hands a simple catch to Perera at gully. Ashwin reached out to it without moving his feet and perishes for four

1246 hrs IST: Sri Lankan players getting into a huddle before resuming to their fielding positions. Chandimal has a chat with the rest and the play looks set to resume once again. It has been 16 minutes since the last ball

1236 hrs IST: Lengthy discussion underway between Sri Lankan players and umpires. Clearly the visiting teams’ players struggling with the smog in the capital. Chandimal and Kohli chatting and the play is held up. Looks like Sri Lanka players are not happy with continuing. Animated discussions underway between the two captains and the players. Umpires trying to figure out the situation as well. Kohli, clearly, wants to continue. He is stretching out there with his gear removed. As does Ashwin.

1226 hrs IST: Kohli moves forward to convert a full delivery into a half volley and drives it for a sweetly struck boundary. He moves to 236 not out to reach his career best, becomes the top scorer at Kotla and highest score by an Indian captain

1215 hrs IST: Second session underway and Sri Lanka may be getting battered here but they don’t want to hurt their health in the process. Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal among others wearing face masks due to intense smog in the capital. Not what you want to see and definitely poor advertisement of Delhi

1136 hrs IST: Just after bringing up the 500 runs, Rohit Sharma falls to an absurd shot. Not a great delivery by Sandakan, it was outside the off stump and Rohit reached out to guide it behind square on the off side but gets an edge in the process. Dickwella looked convinced it was gone and celebrated. Almost as quickly, Rohit went for the review and there is a definite edge there. India lose a wicket and a review right before the lunch break. And with that, it is early lunch in Delhi. India are 500/5

1050 hrs IST: Short ball by Lakmal and Kohli drags the pull to keep it down and brings up his second consecutive double century and sixth overall. Three of them have come this year and all six have come in the last 17 minutes. What a player!

Virat Kohli (R) gestures after scoring a double century against Sri Lanka. (Source: AP)

1042 hrs IST: Big appeal for lbw on Kohli. Caught on the knee roll from Dilruwan Perera. Umpire says not out. Sri Lanka go for the review and it is a bad review. Big inside edge on to the front pad and the on-field decision stands. Sri Lanka are now out of reviews

1030 hrs IST: Virat Kohli inching towards yet another double hundred. Sri Lanka would be sick of the sight of him by now…

0955 hrs IST: After 96 overs, Sri Lanka take the new ball and with that is the first bowling change of the day. Lakmal replaces Dilruwan. The ball may have changed but it won’t do you any good if – you’re bowling to Kohli and you’re bowling on the pads to Kohli. Whipped away in front of square past the mid-wicket region for four runs and it brings up India’s 400. 

0940 hrs IST: SIX! Tossed up from Sandakan, too full and within hitting range for Rohit Sharma and he doesn’t say ‘No’. Goes for the wrong one there but gets his length all wrong to allow Rohit to play a lofted drive and it goes over the ropes for a mighty six.

0930 hrs IST: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma get things underway for India on Day 2 of the third Test. Sri Lanka hand bowling responsibilities to Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan. India 371/4. Ready, Play.

0920 hrs IST: Pitch report from Sunil Gavaskar and Russel Arnold: ‘The grass is superficial, the surface hasn’t changed a lot and it has turned out to be good for batting. It’s a slow and low surface, LBWs will come into play. There are a few footmarks, but they shouldn’t create any problems for the batsmen. Another day full of runs’

0900 hrs IST: Hello and Good morning for our live coverage of the second day in this third Test between India and Sri Lanka. India have the advantage on their side despite the setbacks late in the opening day. Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay once again scoring and scoring big – much to Sri Lanka’s misery. Here Sandip G with a great read on the pairing and how comfortable they look batting together and Vishal Menon on Lakshan Sandakan getting rewarded for his wrong ones which may have come quite late.

TEAMS:

INDIA XI: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma

SRI LANKA XI: Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshen Silva, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Gamage