Test cricket: How India turn the screw against Sri Lanka

Test cricket is the longest form of the game, but its most dramatic shifts can happen in such quick time that holding your nerve is non-negotiable.

India ended the fourth day perfectly placed to win the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club and seal the series 2-0. Sri Lanka, having failed to avoid the follow-on, were 229 for 6, a lead of only 16.


But at different times of the day, it didn’t feel like this Test was headed so comprehensively in India’s direction. In Sri Lanka’s second innings, for 110 minutes, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis controlled the tempo. While the pair was together, it was hard to see how India would pick up the 10 wickets they needed to move the game forward.

Sooriyabandara was compact against the quicks and deadly against the spinners. He swept with great effect, while Indian spinners were guilty of not bowling the right length often enough to create chances. The sweep is an effective shot when played well, but on a fourthday pitch it is not without risk. To India’s irritation, the few times when the top edge was found, the ball fell in no man’s land. But this wasn’t just down to luck. Sooriyabandara had worked the ball around so well that Shubman Gill was tentative with his field placings.

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Mendis’s approach was simple: take the attack to the bowlers. While he had no trouble in picking up the ones and twos, Mendis was particularly keen to attack Manav Suthar, who had clearly been identified as the biggest threat. One slog sweep over midwicket went for six and a full ball was smacked back over the bowler’s head into the sightscreen. Mendis was almost compulsive in taking on the short ball and India’s fielders and bowlers seemed to goad him on. Prasidh Krishna dropped one short only to be deposited onto the roof of the stands. But, eventually, Mendis fell to the short one — for the third time in this series — superbly caught by Gill.

Mendis had added 115 for the third wicket with Sooriyabandara off only 172 balls. With only two down during the stand, India were left scratching their heads, wondering whether their decision to enforce the follow-on, taken primarily because of the time lost to rain, had the potential to backfire.

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But they were helped along by their opponents. Just as Mendis had given his wicket away, Lahiru Udara, earlier, had played a warty pull, taking his eyes off the ball and attempting a shot that had no chance of succeeding.

India were again beneficiaries when Sooriyabandara took his foot off the pedal, almost going into his shell, in the presence of Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain. While Sooriyabandara had not been reckless at any point, he had been fluent, scoring at a good clip. In the company of the captain, Sooriyabandara seemed to lose rhythm and was itching to break free, even as he restrained himself. Rishabh Pant, back to wicketkeeping duties having recovered sufficiently from a severely bruised shoulder, sensed as much, and he told Manav Suthar, the bowler, as much.

De Silva (23) inside-edged onto pad to be caught at slip, giving India a foot in the door. Sooriyabandara’s anxiety was likely sharpened by his approaching three figures, which dovetailed neatly into Sri Lanka erasing the deficit.

Sutthar struck the pad and put in a loud appeal, and Sooriyabandara took the review as quickly as umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat’s finger went up. A thick inside edge confirmed the batsman was not out. Sooriyabandara (92) gave Suthar the charge off the next ball, but he had left his crease far too early, and the bowler was able to float the ball out wide. Pant completed a smart stumping, and now India were on the ascendancy.

When Suthar trapped Niroshan Dickwella plumb in front, only Sonal Dinusha stood between India and victory. At 4.38 pm, though, the players scampered off the field, even as heavy rain made any further play on the day impossible.

India’s bowlers were a tired lot, having bowled 80.4 overs each on back-to-back days. What they will feel most is relief, given how unfocussed their bowling was at times, evidenced by the five no-balls sent down by the spinners.

When the final day begins, the weather will be India’s main enemy, but they will tell themselves that one good session is all they need.

BRIEF SCORES

India 503 for 9 dec trail Sri Lanka 290 (Dinusha 103, Sooriyabandara 80; Prasidh 3/52, Suthar 3/85) and 229 for 6 (f/o) (Sooriyabandara 92, Kamindu 55; Suthar 2/81) by 16 runs