COLOMBO: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed two early wickets to put India on top of the second Test after the visitors posted 622-9 declared against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.
Ashwin got rid of openers Upul Tharanga for nought and Dimuth Karunaratne for 25 to leave the hosts reeling at 50 for two at stumps on the second day.
Kusal Mendis on 16 and skipper Dinesh Chandimal on eight were batting at close of play with the hosts still trailing by 572 runs in their first innings at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
“Chandi and Kusal batted really well in the last few overs. We have to play positively,” Karunaratne, who praised Ashwin’s variations as a spinner, told reporters.
“Last time when we played in Galle Chandi got 160-odd scoring a lot of runs off the sweep and reverse sweep. I think that will be key.”
Earlier, six Indian batsmen scored 50 or more — including centuries by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane — as the tourists posted their biggest total in Sri Lanka.
Indian allrounder Ravindra Jadeja hit an unbeaten 70 as wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha made a patient 67 and Ashwin scored 54 before becoming Herath victims.
“Right now, it is a good thing that every batsman is scoring runs. Not only top five or six but also 7, 8, 9, 10,” Rahane told reporters.
“(Mohammed) Shami also scoring a bit, Umesh (Yadav) was also batting well. So it is good that the last four are contributing,” Rahane said.
However, the 217-run fourth-wicket partnership between overnight centurions Pujara, who top-scored with 133, and Rahane remained the highlight of India’s innings.
“We thought if we dominate, if we change the momentum, they will be on the back foot straightaway, and that’s what happened,” Rahane said of the marathon stand.
“We knew that one big partnership and they will be on the back foot,” he added.
Veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath claimed four wickets for Sri Lanka, which suffered new injury worries after paceman Nuwan Pradeep left the field on day one with a pulled hamstring.
Karunaratne informed that the hosts will not only miss Pradeep in the ongoing Test but the paceman will be out of action for “one or two months.”
“We prepared this pitch to turn, that’s why we’ve played only one seamer... Now with Nuwan’s injury, there’s no opportunity to get a wicket with the new ball, or through reverse swing when it gets older,” said Karunaratne.
Debutant left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara picked up two wickets. They included batsman Rahane for 132 — his maiden Test scalp — in the morning session.
Ashwin strikes dent Sri Lanka reply
Ashwin strikes dent Sri Lanka reply
T20 World Cup: England rout Sri Lanka for 95 to win Super Eights opener
- England were asked to bat first, scored what looked like below-par 146-9
- Archer, Will Jacks took five wickets to leave Sri Lanka top order in tatters
KANDY: England routed Sri Lanka for 95 to give captain Harry Brook a perfect birthday present as they opened the T20 World Cup Super Eights phase with a resounding 51-run win in Kandy on Sunday.
After England were asked to bat first and scored what looked like a below-par 146-9, Jofra Archer and Will Jacks took five wickets during the six-over power play to leave Sri Lanka’s top order in tatters at 34-5.
“That’s a beautiful birthday present,” said Brook, who turned 27 on Sunday.
“I thought we played exceptionally there. To get over the line and bowl them out for less than 100 is an awesome effort.
“I didn’t think there were really any demons on the pitch. I think the spinners on both sides used the pace really well, and that’s what brought a lot of wickets.”
It was England’s 12th win in a row against Sri Lanka and on a pitch that was sticky and slow after rain all week in Kandy.
The margin of victory gives them a healthy net run rate advantage in a Super Eights group that could be further affected by weather, after the New Zealand-Pakistan match was washed out on Saturday in Colombo.
“We’re buzzing with that,” said Jacks who was named player of the match for the third time in five matches in the tournament.
“At the halfway stage, we were pleased to get up to 146, but obviously we knew we were going to have to bowl well and work hard.”
The searing pace of Jofra Archer accounted for both openers, including the in-form Pathum Nissanka (9), who had scored a century and 62 in his last two knocks but failed to clear Jamie Overton at deep mid-wicket.
Archer finished with 2-20 and Jacks 3-22, the latter accounting for Kusal Mendis (4) and Pavan Rathnayake (0) in consecutive balls.
Dunith Wellalage staved off the hat-trick but lasted only 10 balls before also falling to Jacks, for 10.
LONE BATTLE
Dasun Shanaka fought a lone battle scoring 30 off 24 balls before falling to Adil Rashid.
The Sri Lanka captain took on the leg-spinner but Jacks took the catch and tossed the ball to Tom Banton before stepping over the boundary.
“It’s one bad game which is not affordable in a World Cup,” said Shanaka.
“But we need to bounce back in the next couple of games.”
Sri Lanka earlier restricted England to 146-9 with left-arm spinner Wellalage taking 3-26.
Phil Salt scored 62 at the top of the order but Sri Lanka, who are missing three of their frontline bowlers, contained the rest of the England batting line-up with regular wickets.
Wellalage was introduced during the power play and trapped the out-of-form Jos Buttler (7) and Brook (14), both lbw, as England limped to 68-4 at the halfway mark.
Salt was caught in the deep off Wellalage after facing 40 deliveries with six fours and two sixes.
Jacks, with 21, was the only other England batsman to score more than 20.
“Jacksie was pretty annoyed with the way he got out,” said Brook, who then explained why the new ball was tossed to the off-spinner.
“He said to me he always bowls better when he’s angry, and thankfully he got off to a cracking start.”
Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka took 2-25 while Maheesh Theekshana took 2-21 with his offspin.
