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India’s dominance continued as Sri Lanka found itself cornered at the end of the fourth day’s play — floodlights were used right from the first ball — of the third Test here on Tuesday. An intriguing day of cricket awaits on Wednesday when Sri Lanka, presented a target of 410 runs, resumes at 31 for three at the Ferozeshah Kotla.
Haze and pollution have been a constant in this Test. So has been India’s performance, clear and assertive, on a pitch that demands discipline and application. Sri Lanka gave glimpses of a fight on the third day through Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews but its challenge multiplied once India decided to make a match of it by scoring briskly and declaring the second innings.
With seven wickets in hand, Sri Lanka would be hard-pressed to save the game on a pitch which is showing signs of wear and tear. Ravindra Jadeja’s two-wicket burst should be a cause of worry to Sri Lanka’s line-up since the surface suits him the most.
A few masked Sri Lankans may have revived the pollution debate with seamer Suranga Lakmal vomiting on the field to drive home the point. Later, Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami, having confessed to suffering from chest infection before the match, also threw up.
But the Indians were not perturbed. They had a task at hand and went about it professionally. They never let their guard down and made Sri Lanka aware of its limitations. Sri Lanka found it hard to shackle the strong Indian batting line-up and it showed in the ease with which runs were garnered.
Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma provided the pace the second innings needed before declaring at 246 for five. A first-innings lead of 163 gave India the cushion and power to plan the final assault.
M. Vijay, century maker in the first innings, fell cheaply and Ajinkya Rahane, bogged by poor form, was a victim of self-doubt. His attempt at aggression failed to clear the fielder at long-on. But India had the wherewithal to dictate. For the batsmen, it was a platform to assess their ability to shift gears.
The bad ball had to be put away because the idea was to give the bowlers a decent chance — time and target — to strangle Sri Lanka. Dhawan is always game because he is not one to compromise with his natural style. He loves to attack the ball and his purposeful essay confirmed his form and intent.
Pujara decided to play his shots. And play them well. Often unfairly criticised for an average strike rate in the longer format of the game, Pujara, a delight for the purist, excelled in forcing the pace.
He played some rousing strokes before edging to slip. A tame climax to an innings that promised much more.
Kohli’s advent stepped up the scoring rate. The contest became intense as India explored scoring avenues and Lanka looked to defend without adopting negative tactics at any point. Half-centuries by Dhawan, Kohli and Rohit ensured India was on the right track and the declaration gave the bowlers enough time to put Sri Lanka under pressure.
Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma warmed up for the forthcoming ODI series by letting the ball rip. They were quick through the air and Shami especially enjoyed putting the batsmen on the back-foot and hastening their front-foot defence.
Shami presented a delightful sight for Kohli when he rattled Sadeera Samarawickrama, the batsman evading the bouncer, bent backwards and overbalanced.
Next ball he ducked but faintly gloved the ball. It was a moment to frame for the Indian team management since the mode of dismissal could be a regular feature when competing in South Africa.
