First Test against India: Sri Lanka escape with draw

Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with a spectacular spell of 4/8 in the second innings but India missed a victory narrowly as the play on the fifth day was called off due to bad light at Eden Gardens on Monday.

Sri Lanka were 75/7 at stumps and the Kolkata Test concluded in a draw.

Besides Bhubneshwar, pacer Mohammed Shami took two big wickets to contribute in pace assault. Umesh Yadav also joined the celebration after claiming the wicket of Angelo Mathews (12).

Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella (27) was the highest scorer in Sri Lanka’s second innings that saw no batsmen producing a remarkable batting display.

Earlier, India rode on captain Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century and declared their second innings for 352/8 to give Sri Lanka a tight target of 231 runs in 47 overs.

Completing his 18th Test hundred and 50th International century across formats, Kohli slammed two sixes and 12 boundaries in his 119-ball knock.

Besides Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan contributed with an impressive knock on 94 runs. He struck two sixes and 11 boundaries but missed a Test century when Dasun Shanaka (3/76) got him dismissed in the 38th over.

The left-handed Delhi batsman established a 166-run opening-wicket partnership stand with KL Rahul, who scored causative 79 runs from the other end.

For Sri Lanka, Dasun Shanaka and Suranga Lakmal claimed three wickets each while Lahiru Gamage and Dilruwan Perera joined the party after they took the scalp of Ajinkya Rahane (0) and Ravindra Jadeja (9) respectively.

The second match in the three-test series will be played in Nagpur from Friday.

India     1st innings 172 (C. Pujara 52; S. Lakmal 4-26)                                                

Sri Lanka 1st innings 294 (R. Herath 67, A. Mathews 52, L. Thirimanne 51; B. Kumar 4-88, M. Shami 4-100)

India 2nd innings (Overnight: 171-1)

L. Rahul                      b Lakmal                             79 

S. Dhawan                     c Dickwella b Shanaka                94 

C. Pujara                     c D. Perera b Lakmal                 22 

V. Kohli                      not out                              104

A. Rahane                     lbw b Lakmal                         0  

R. Jadeja                     c Thirimanne b D. Perera             9  

R. Ashwin                     b Shanaka                            7  

W. Saha                       c Samarawickrama b Shanaka           5  

B. Kumar                      c D. Perera b Gamage                 8  

M. Shami                      not out                              12 

Extras                        (b-7 lb-1 nb-1 w-3)                  12 

Total                         (for 8 wickets declared, 88.4 overs) 352

Fall of wickets: 1-166 S. Dhawan,2-192 L. Rahul,3-213 C. Pujara,4-213 A. Rahane,5-249 R. Jadeja,6-269 R. Ashwin,7-281 W. Saha,8-321 B. Kumar

Did not bat: U. Yadav

Bowling                 

Suranga Lakmal                24.4 - 4 - 93 - 3(w-1)                  

Lahiru Gamage                 23 - 2 - 97 - 1(nb-1)                   

Dasun Shanaka                 22 - 1 - 76 - 3(w-2)                    

Dilruwan Perera               13 - 2 - 49 - 1                         

Rangana Herath                6 - 1 - 29 - 0                          

Sri Lanka 2nd innings (Target: 231 runs)

Sadeera Samarawickrama        b B. Kumar                           0  

Dimuth Karunaratne            b Shami                              1  

Lahiru Thirimanne             c Rahane b B. Kumar                  7  

Angelo Mathews                lbw b U. Yadav                       12 

Dinesh Chandimal              b Shami                              20 

Niroshan Dickwella            lbw b B. Kumar                       27 

Dasun Shanaka                 not out                              6  

Dilruwan Perera               b B. Kumar                           0  

Rangana Herath                not out                              0  

Extras                        (lb-1 nb-1)                          2  

Total                         (for 7 wickets, 26.3 overs)          75 

Fall of wickets: 1-0 S. Samarawickrama,2-2 D. Karunaratne,3-14 L. Thirimanne,4-22 A. Mathews,5-69 D. Chandimal,6-69 N. Dickwella,7-75 D. Perera

Did not bat: S. Lakmal, L. Gamage

Bowling                 

B. Kumar                      11 - 8 - 8 - 4                          

M. Shami                      9.3 - 4 - 34 - 2(nb-1)                  

U. Yadav                      5 - 0 - 25 - 1                          

R. Jadeja                     1 - 0 - 7 - 0

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Day 4 report- India takes o

KOLKATA (Reuters) - Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul featured in a rollicking 166-run stand to help India erase the 122-run lead they had conceded to Sri Lanka on the penultimate day of the opening test on Sunday.

Dhawan threw away his wicket at 94, but Rahul was unbeaten on 73 when bad light stopped play with the hosts on 171-1.

Cheteshwar Pujara was on two at the other end with India 49 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand, an impressive fightback after being all out for 172 in their first innings.

The hosts had lost the entire top half of their batting order by the time they had accumulated 50 runs in the first innings but Rahul and Dhawan ensured there was no repeat by scoring at nearly four-and-half runs an over.

Dhawan was decisive with his footwork against the slow bowlers, which he demonstrated with two sixes off Sri Lanka’s spin spearhead Rangana Herath.

The left-hander also hit 11 boundaries before rushing out to hit Dasun Shanaka before being caught behind.

Rahul was his elegant self at the other end as the right-hander registered his ninth 50-plus score in his last 11 test innings, which included eight crisp boundaries.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 294 in their first innings after number nine batsman Herath top-scored for the tourists with a defiant 67.

Paceman Mohammed Shami, who bowled without success on Saturday, claimed four wickets, including that of overnight batsmen Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal, in a fine display of seam bowling to curb Sri Lanka’s progress.

Dilruwan Perera featured in a review drama after being adjudged lbw to Shami.

The batsman appeared to be on his way back to the dressing room when he suddenly turned around to challenge the decision, which was overturned as the point of impact was found to be marginally outside the stumps.

Shami had the last laugh though, as he dismissed Perera caught behind for five.

Conditions on the first two days of the pace-dominated contest meant Herath had a very limited role with the ball and the spinner made his mark with the bat instead, frustrating the hosts with his dogged resistance.

Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who claimed four wickets apiece, combined to dismiss Herath with the former taking the catch after the batsman had sliced Kumar to backward point.

India 1st innings 172 (C. Pujara 52; S. Lakmal 4-26)

Sri Lanka 1st innings (Overnight: 165-4)

Sadeera Samarawickrama        c Saha b B. Kumar           23 

Dimuth Karunaratne            lbw b B. Kumar              8  

Lahiru Thirimanne             c Kohli b U. Yadav          51 

Angelo Mathews                c Rahul b U. Yadav          52 

Dinesh Chandimal              c Saha b Shami              28 

Niroshan Dickwella            c Kohli b Shami             35 

Dasun Shanaka                 lbw b B. Kumar              0  

Dilruwan Perera               c Saha b Shami              5  

Rangana Herath                c Shami b B. Kumar          67 

Suranga Lakmal                b Shami                     16 

Lahiru Gamage                 not out                     0  

Extras                        (b-4 lb-4 w-1)              9   

Total                         (all out, 83.4 overs)       294

Fall of wickets: 1-29 D. Karunaratne,2-34 S. Samarawickrama,3-133 L. Thirimanne,4-138 A. Mathews,5-200 N. Dickwella,6-201 D. Shanaka,7-201 D. Chandimal,8-244 D. Perera,9-290 R. Herath,10-294 S. Lakmal

Bowling                 

B. Kumar                      27 - 5 - 88 - 4                

M. Shami                      26.3 - 5 - 100 - 4             

U. Yadav                      20 - 1 - 79 - 2(w-1)           

R. Ashwin                     8 - 2 - 13 - 0                 

V. Kohli                      1.1 - 0 - 5 - 0                

R. Jadeja                     1 - 0 - 1 - 0                  

India 2nd innings       

L. Rahul                      not out                     73 

S. Dhawan                     c Dickwella b Shanaka       94 

C. Pujara                     not out                     2  

Extras                        (nb-1 w-1)                  2  

Total                         (for 1 wickets, 39.3 overs) 171

Fall of wickets: 1-166 S. Dhawan

To bat: V. Kohli, A. Rahane, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, B. Kumar, M. Shami, U. Yadav

Bowling                 

Suranga Lakmal                8 - 0 - 29 - 0                 

Lahiru Gamage                 9 - 0 - 47 - 0(nb-1)            

Dasun Shanaka                 9.3 - 1 - 29 - 1(w-1)          

Dilruwan Perera               10 - 1 - 41 - 0                

Rangana Herath                3 - 0 - 25 - 0                 

KOLKATA (Reuters) - Fifties from Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews kept Sri Lanka firmly on course for a handy first-innings lead against India on day three of the rain-hit first test on Saturday.

The islanders, bidding for their first test victory in India, dismissed the hosts for 172 and closed on 165-4, as the rain stayed away after allowing only 32.5 overs to be bowled in the first two days.

Niroshan Dickwella was batting on 14 when bad light stopped play and skipper Dinesh Chandimal was on 13 with the tourists seven runs behind.

After India resumed on a precarious 74-5, the bottom half of their order contributed 98 runs in the morning session to lend respectability to their total on a green Eden Gardens track.

Cheteshwar Pujara brought up his 16th test fifty but was clean bowled by Lahiru Gamage for 52, a patient knock in trying conditions that included 10 boundaries.

Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja refused to retreat into a defensive shell, though they were not entirely convincing during their 48-run partnership.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Saha, who made 29, was lucky to get a reprieve four runs before his dismissal when Dickwella missed an easy stumping off Dilruwan Perera.

Jadeja, who made 22, hit Perera for a six over long-on but the off-spinner responded by removing both batsmen in the same over.

Suranga Lakmal dismissed Bhuvneshwar Kumar to claim his fourth wicket, his tidy 19 overs including 12 maidens.

Mohammed Shami made a breezy 24 down the order but India still fell short of the 175-run mark.

Sadeera Samarawickrama’s 23 off 22 balls gave Sri Lanka a fast start but Kumar exploited the conditions well to peg back the tourists.

The paceman dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for eight and had Samarawickrama caught behind in his next over.

Despite their occasional discomfort against the moving ball, Thirimanne and Mathews thwarted the hosts with a match-high 99-run stand.

Dropped by Shikhar Dhawan on 27, Thirimanne went on to make 51, while Mathews, playing as a specialist batsman on his return from injury, made 52 before Umesh Yadav dismissed both in successive overs.

India 1st innings (Overnight: 74-5)

L. Rahul                      c Dickwella b Lakmal        0  

S. Dhawan                     b Lakmal                    8  

C. Pujara                     b Gamage                    52 

V. Kohli                      lbw b Lakmal                0  

A. Rahane                     c Dickwella b Shanaka       4  

R. Ashwin                     c Karunaratne b Shanaka     4  

W. Saha                       c Mathews b D. Perera       29 

R. Jadeja                     lbw b D. Perera             22 

B. Kumar                      c Dickwella b Lakmal        13 

M. Shami                      c Shanaka b Gamage          24 

U. Yadav                      not out                     6  

Extras                        (b-6 lb-4)                  10 

Total                         (all out, 59.3 overs)       172

Fall of wickets: 1-0 L. Rahul,2-13 S. Dhawan,3-17 V. Kohli,4-30 A. Rahane,5-50 R. Ashwin,6-79 C. Pujara,7-127 R. Jadeja,8-128 W. Saha,9-146 B. Kumar,10-172 M. Shami

Bowling                 

Suranga Lakmal                19 - 12 - 26 - 4               

Lahiru Gamage                 17.3 - 5 - 59 - 2              

Dasun Shanaka                 12 - 4 - 36 - 2                

Dimuth Karunaratne            2 - 0 - 17 - 0                 

Rangana Herath                2 - 0 - 5 - 0                  

Dilruwan Perera               7 - 1 - 19 - 2                 

Sri Lanka 1st innings   

Sadeera Samarawickrama        c Saha b B. Kumar           23 

Dimuth Karunaratne            lbw b B. Kumar              8  

Lahiru Thirimanne             c Kohli b U. Yadav          51 

Angelo Mathews                c Rahul b U. Yadav          52 

Dinesh Chandimal              not out                     13 

Niroshan Dickwella            not out                     14 

Extras                        (lb-4)                      4  

Total                         (for 4 wickets, 45.4 overs) 165

Fall of wickets: 1-29 D. Karunaratne,2-34 S. Samarawickrama,3-133 L. Thirimanne,4-138 A. Mathews

To bat: D. Shanaka, D. Perera, R. Herath, S. Lakmal, L. Gamage

Bowling                 

B. Kumar                      14.4 - 2 - 49 - 2              

M. Shami                      13.5 - 5 - 53 - 0              

U. Yadav                      13 - 1 - 50 - 2                

R. Ashwin                     4 - 0 - 9 - 0                  

V. Kohli                      0.1 - 0 - 0 - 0

Cheteshwar Pujara stood tall amid ruins as Sri Lanka struck twice in the truncated morning session to reduce India to 74 for five before rain forced an early end on day two of the opening test on Friday. The

Sri Lanka’s first change bowler Dasun Shanaka dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin to compound India’s crisis after the hosts resumed on 17 for three at the Eden Gardens.

Pujara leads India’s hopes of a decent first innings total with a defiant unbeaten 47 and had local boy Wriddhiman Saha on six at the other end when rain intervened.

Suranga Lakmal had claimed three wickets on the rain-hit opening day without conceding a run and the paceman sent down 46 dot balls before Rahane hit a boundary to snap the streak.

Shanaka struck in his third over when Rahane chased a wide delivery and nicked it to stumper Niroshan Dickwella to depart for four.

Next man in Ashwin was hit on the thumb by a rising Lahiru Gamage delivery and needed medical attention. He too played a very ordinary shot against Shanaka, slicing a delivery straight to Dimuth Karunaratne at point.

Saha looked tentative as well but Pujara batted with characteristic assuredness at the other end.

On a green track where the ball moved significantly, Pujara came up with a batting masterclass -- playing late, with soft hands and leaving well.

India’s number three was his watchful self against deliveries probing the channel outside the off-stump and capitalised on the occasional poor delivery, as the nine boundaries in his 102-ball vigil would suggest.

India 1st innings (Overnight: 17-3)

L. Rahul                      c Dickwella b Lakmal        0 

S. Dhawan                     b Lakmal                    8 

C. Pujara                     not out                     47

V. Kohli                      lbw b Lakmal                0 

A. Rahane                     c Dickwella b Shanaka       4 

R. Ashwin                     c Karunaratne b Shanaka     4 

W. Saha                       not out                     6 

Extras                        (b-4 lb-1)                  5 

Total                         (for 5 wickets, 32.5 overs) 74

Fall of wickets: 1-0 L. Rahul,2-13 S. Dhawan,3-17 V. Kohli,4-30 A. Rahane,5-50 R. Ashwin

To bat: R. Jadeja, B. Kumar, M. Shami, U. Yadav

Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 11 - 9 - 5 - 3, Lahiru Gamage  11.5 - 3 - 24 - 0, Dasun Shanaka 8 - 2 - 23 - 2, Dimuth Karunaratne 2 - 0 - 17 - 0  

KOLKATA (Reuters) - Sri Lanka paceman Suranga Lakmal breathed fire on a green track to rock India on a stop-start opening day of the rain-hit first test on Thursday.

The 30-year-old produced a scintillating display of seam bowling to claim three wickets without conceding a run in his six overs to reduce India to 17 for three before play was called off due to bad light.

Only 11.5 overs could be bowled on the opening day of the contest after rain, which is also forecast to affect play in the next couple of days, washed out the entire first session at the Eden Gardens.

Cheteshwar Pujara was on eight not out with Ajinkya Rahane yet to score at the other end.

India opted for a left-right opening combination and Shikhar Dhawan walked out with Lokesh Rahul after Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to field in overcast conditions.

Lakmal struck with the first ball of the match, dismissing Rahul caught behind with a delivery that pitched just outside the off-stump and the extra bounce beat the batsman.

The paceman also breached Pujara’s defence in the same over but the batsman survived as the ball missed the stumps.

Dhawan hit Lahiru Gamage for a boundary but threw away his wicket playing a rash drive, dragging a Lakmal delivery on to his stumps to depart for eight.

Lakmal, who sent down four consecutive maidens, pursued a probing line and the right-hander nearly dismissed Virat Kohli but the India captain’s flick fell short of mid-wicket.

After bad light forced an early tea, Lakmal returned to trap Kohli lbw for nought. The India captain reviewed the decision but replays suggested the ball would have hit leg-stump.

Pujara took 23 balls to get off the mark, which he did with a streaky boundary off Gamage.

His next scoring shot, another boundary off the same bowler, was more convincing as India’s number three elegantly straight drove him past mid-on.

India 1st innings       

L. Rahul                      c Dickwella b Lakmal        0 

S. Dhawan                     b Lakmal                    8 

C. Pujara                     not out                     8 

V. Kohli                      lbw b Lakmal                0 

A. Rahane                     not out                     0 

Extras                        (lb-1)                      1 

Total                         (for 3 wickets, 11.5 overs) 17

Fall of wickets: 1-0 L. Rahul,2-13 S. Dhawan,3-17 V. Kohli

India: W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, B. Kumar, M. Shami, U. Yadav

Bowling                 

Suranga Lakmal                6 - 6 - 0 - 3                 

Lahiru Gamage                 5.5 - 1 - 16 - 0              

Referees                

Umpire: Richard Kettleborough                                

Umpire: Nigel Llong                                         

TV umpire: Joel Wilson                                      

Match referee: David Boon               

Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal opted to field first after light rains delayed the start of play in the first test between India and Sri Lanka at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Thursday.

Wet weather has been forecast for the first three days and rain began to fall 15 minutes before the scheduled toss. Play was not possible during the first session.

 Sri Lanka team includes six batters, four bowlers and a fast-bowling allrounder in Dasun Shanaka. There was no place for Dananjaya de Silva who was expected to bat at number 3 positions after his impressive performances against West Indies A.

Nagpur and Delhi host the other matches of the three-test series, which will be followed by three one-dayers and as the same number of Twenty20 Internationals between the neighbours.

India: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Umesh Yadav.
 

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandiwal (capt.), 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dasun Shanaka ,8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath, 11 Lahiru Gamage.