After an absorbing first day’s play, day two of the second Test at P Sara Oval on Friday was torpid. Both sides seemed to just inch forward, and much of the play was underwhelming.
India and Sri Lanka alternately allowed themselves just a toe in the door; India through a 46-run stand between Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra in the morning session and disciplined spells from its speedsters post-lunch, and Sri Lanka courtesy a second-wicket stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Kaushal Silva for 74 runs, and Silva’s and Lahiru Thirimanne’s 39-run third-wicket stand.
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Whoever breaks the door open on Saturday gets to decide the course of the match.
At stumps, Sri Lanka was 140 for three — 253 runs adrift — with Thirimanne batting on 28 and Angelo Mathews on 19.
The first session demanded diligence from India for its total was still short of respectability. And Dhammika Prasad and Mathews were a more than potent bowling combination, with a ball just 7.2 overs old and the early morning movement.
The way R. Ashwin spooned a catch to cover off Mathews was anything but diligent. It was just the second over of the day and just two runs had been added to the overnight score of 319.
Next, Saha seemed to suffer a brain-freeze when he stepped out of his crease to attack Prasad. That the act came after a reprieve — the ball had brushed his off stump without dislodging the bail — made it even more appalling.
Mishra then squared up to one from Mathews for which there was a vociferous appeal for caught behind. After that, he was lucky to survive an inside-edge too.
Yet, Saha and Mishra somehow managed to help the bubble of hope grow. The former notched up another half-century (56) batting with the tail — his second in three innings — and their association, built at just over two runs an over, placed India at 386 for five at lunch.
However, Rangana Herath needed just two overs after the break to dismiss Saha and Ishant Sharma, both leg-before, and wrap up India’s innings seven short of the psychologically intimidating 400-run mark.
Umesh Yadav bowled a fiery first spell (5-2-18-1). He earned a breakthrough off his first delivery that swung into Dimuth Karunaratne at express pace. The left-hander played all around it to get trapped in front.
Sangakkara joined Silva at the crease after yet another guard of honour, this time from the Indians. The niceties were maintained only until then. He had to keep out an in-swinging yorker from Umesh first-up. He was then peppered with a few bouncers and was beaten thrice outside the off stump.
Silva was not on top of his game either. He faced a barrage of out-swingers from Stuart Binny, was beaten more than once and even edged one to Saha in the bowler’s very first over, only for it to turn out a no-ball. It was a probing spell of 6-2-17-0 but devoid of luck.
Silva ultimately found salvation with a drive through the covers for four which ended Binny’s spell. He would go on to make a battling half-century (51, 118b, 8x4) ladling out much of the froth towards the later part of his innings.
On his part, Sangakkara tried to put on a display in front of a cheering crowd in what was, in all likelihood, his penultimate innings. There were four fine boundaries in his innings of 32 — a drive past point, a flick off the legs, a back-foot cut and a loft over mid-off — before Ashwin picked him up for the third time in this series. Rahane held a fine low catch at first slip, making amends for an earlier drop when Sangakkara was on 24.
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