GALLE: Abhinav Mukund and Virat Kohli scored half-centuries and shared a 133-run partnership to propel India’s lead to 498 in the first Test against Sri Lanka here on Friday.

India were 189-3 in their second innings at stumps on the third day with Kohli 76 not out.

India did not enforce the follow-on despite an imposing 309-run lead from the first innings after earlier dismissing Sri Lanka for 291.

Sri Lanka resumed the day on 154-5 after India scored 600 runs in their first innings.

India lost their first wicket on 19 when Dilruwan Perera had Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 190 in the first innings, caught by Danushka Gunathilaka for 14. Cheteshwar Pujara, who also made a century in the first innings, was caught by Kusal Mendis for 15 with the total on 56.

Kohli joined Mukund after a rain interruption and the pair batted for 178 deliveries before Mukund was out for 81 on the last delivery of the day. He hit eight boundaries in a second Test half-century. Kohli faced 114 deliveries with five boundaries.

Having resumed 446 runs behind in the first innings, the Sri Lankan middle and lower order folded quickly. The home team were bowled out shortly after the lunch break, with Perera left stranded on 92 not out. Primarily an off-spinner, it was his second opportunity missed to score a maiden test hundred.

With plenty of time still left in the match, India resisted the temptation to send Sri Lanka back in, choosing instead to bat again in the hope of building an unassailable lead before making an early declaration.

Sri Lanka added 135 in the morning session at a healthy run-rate but lost three vital wickets in the process.

Angelo Mathews was the first to depart. He started the day unbeaten on 54 and had advanced to 83 when he was caught by Kohli at short cover off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.

The left-arm spinner then picked up his second wicket of the innings when he got rid of Rangana Herath for nine, with Ajinkya Rahane taking the catch at slip.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya, on his Test debut, then captured his first Test wicket when he bowled out Nuwan Pradeep for 10, adding to his half-century with the bat.

Sri Lanka survived until lunch but the innings came to an abrupt end in the second over after the resumption when Lahiru Kumara was bowled by Jadeja for two.

With the injured Asela Gunaratne unable to bat, Perera ran out of partners just eight runs short of his maiden Test century.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain and strike spin bowler Herath has bruised the middle finger of his bowling hand.

“He’s got a bruised finger. It’s the same finger he fractured in 2014,” cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha said.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 600 (S. Dhawan 190, C. Pujara 153;

N. Pradeep 6-132)

SRI LANKA (1st Innings, overnight 154-5):

D. Karunaratne lbw b Yadav 2
U. Tharanga run out 64
D. Gunathilaka c Dhawan b Shami 16
K. Mendis c Dhawan b Shami 0
A. Mathews c Kohli b Jadeja 83
N. Dickwella c Mukund b Ashwin 8
D. Perera not out 92
R. Herath c Rahane b Jadeja 9
N. Pradeep b Pandya 10
L. Kumara b Jadeja 2

EXTRAS (W-1, LB-4) 5

TOTAL (all out, 78.3 overs) 291

NOTE: Gunaratne did not bat due to injury.

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-68, 3-68, 4-125, 5-143, 6-205, 7-241, 8-280, 9-291.

BOWLING: Shami 12-2-45-2; Yadav 14-1-78-1; Ashwin 27-5-84-1; Jadeja 22.3-3-67-3; Pandya 3-0-13-1.

INDIA (2nd Innings):

S. Dhawan c Gunathilaka b Perera 14
A. Mukund lbw Gunathilaka 81
C. Pujara c Mendis b Kumara 15
V. Kohli not out 76

EXTRAS (W-2, LB-1) 3

TOTAL (for three wkts, 46.3 overs) 189

TO BAT: A. Rahane, H. Pandya, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, U. Yadav, M. Shami.

BOWLING (to-date): Pradeep 10-2-44-0; Perera 12-0-42-1; Kumara 11-1-53-1; Herath 9-0-34-0; Gunathilaka 4.3-0-15-1.

FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-56, 3-189.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2017