India Tighten Grip as Sri Lanka Reach 216/7 at Tea in Second Test

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka showed resistance during the second session on Day 3 of the second Test, but India remained firmly in control as the hosts reached 216/7 at tea at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Sri Lanka resumed at 131/4 following a 30-minute rain interruption, with Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Dhananjaya de Silva at the crease.

India turned immediately to spin, and Manav Suthar provided the first breakthrough of the session by dismissing de Silva for 8. The Sri Lankan captain edged a delivery that turned sharply, with the ball deflecting off Dhruv Jurel’s gloves before KL Rahul completed the catch at slip.

That left Sri Lanka at 137/5 and still more than 350 runs behind India’s first-innings total.

Sooriyabandara continued to anchor the innings and reached 80 from 133 balls, including nine fours, before Ravindra Jadeja ended his resistance.

The left-arm spinner repeatedly attacked the stumps and was rewarded when Sooriyabandara got a thick inside edge that ricocheted off his thigh and rolled onto the stumps.

Sri Lanka slipped to 171/6 before Mohammed Siraj struck to remove Niroshan Dickwella for a duck. Dickwella attempted to work a short delivery down the leg side but got a faint edge, with Jurel taking a low catch behind the stumps.

Sonal Dinusha then led Sri Lanka’s lower-order resistance alongside Keshara Nuwantha.

Dinusha reached his half-century from 84 balls, bringing up the milestone with a boundary off Suthar. He also hit Saransh Jain for six and later struck Jadeja for four as Sri Lanka moved past 200.

Nuwantha also frustrated India’s bowlers and struck Jain for six. India reviewed an lbw decision against him, but replays showed a substantial inside edge and the review was lost.

At tea, Dinusha was unbeaten on 52 from 84 balls, while Nuwantha was 13 not out from 65 deliveries.

Jadeja returned figures of 1/27 from 15 overs, while Suthar had taken two wickets. Prasidh Krishna remained India’s leading wicket-taker with 3/46.

Sri Lanka ended the session at 216/7, still trailing India by 287 runs.

Brief Scores: India 503/9 in 138 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 115 not out; Asitha Fernando 4/106, Prabath Jayasuriya 2/132) lead Sri Lanka 216/7 in 65 overs (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 80, Sonal Dinusha 52 not out; Prasidh Krishna 3/46, Manav Suthar 2/71) by 287 runs. (Source: IANS)