India 74/5 on Day 2. Cheteshwar Pujara was the star of the session for India as he fended off the fire spitting Sri Lankan pacers. Rahane was dismissed by Gamage. The latter then gave Ashwin a throbbing thumb with a bouncer that climbed to the batsman’s neck. Ashwin was soon dismissed by Shanaka and since then Wriddhiman Saha has been doing his best to hold on. Pujara has towered above all his team mates and is inching closer to a half century. The players walked off 10 minutes before the scheduled time for Lunch and the day has since been called off due to rains.
India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 2 Highlights:
1450 hrs IST: That’s it! Whatever happened in the morning was the day’s action. The ground is completely covered and it is impossible to take them all off and start the match on time. It is learnt that forecast for tomorrow is much better. Sri Lanka, and Suranga Lakmal especially, will be hoping that is the case. It has been some time since they have been in such a good position away from at an early stage of a Test match.
1400 hrs IST: This was how the day was supposed to have gone. The thing about well laid plans…
Day 2 of the 1st Test – Hours of play #INDvSLpic.twitter.com/cxtNr4ev1m
— BCCI (@BCCI) 17 November 2017
1355 hrs IST: Rains, rains, rains that is the news from the Eden Gardens. Sri Lanka will be hoping that this match is not decided by the clouds. They have got off to the kind of start they could have only dreamt of before the series. It is not exactly pouring but the soppers are struggling to get rid of the puddles that are getting collected on the covers. It’s a long wait.
1240 hrs IST: The rains, like this match, is in stop-and-start-mode. 12:10 Was the scheduled starting time for the second session. The sopping continues at the Eden Gardens. No update yet as to when we will have a restart
1224 hrs IST: The rains picked up and dropped off but quite a few areas where water has collected on the covers. Second session will take some time to start
Under wraps the Eden Gardens post lunch #INDvSLpic.twitter.com/fxS8MZuW5a
— BCCI (@BCCI) 17 November 2017
1132 hrs IST: Lunch taken at Eden Gardens and that brings an end to the first session of the day. Rain has also fot a little heavy and the ground has been completely covered now. Sri Lanka have been on top in this session too. Cheteshwar Pujara shows why he is considered the most important batsman in Test cricket. Karunaratne has been
1059 hrs IST: Covers are coming on, players are walking off. Rains were in forecast and those watching the skies were not wrong. The Indian dressing room applauds Pujara as he walks in. He is only three runs away from a majestic half century
1053 hrs IST: Saha punches Karunaratne through point and it goes for four, gets off the mark. Karunaratne has not been able to maintain the pressure that has been built so far by his team mates. He gives away 12 runs in the 32nd over. Pujara, on the other hand, has faced 100 deliveries now
1046 hrs IST: Saha yet to get off the mark while Pujara has faced nearly 100 deliveries in his sage-like innings. Karunaratne has been introduced into the attack. Interestingly, his only Test wicket has been that of Cheteshwar Pujara
1031 hrs IST: Pujara hits a boundary off Gamage top relieve some of the pressure as Wriddhiman Saha joins him in the middle. India seem to be standing on quicksand. It looked like Rahane and Pujara were taking them out of this sticky situation they find themselves in when Rahane was dismissed. Ashwin seemed to be doing the same with Pujara when he plays a rather needless shot.
1024 hrs IST: GONE! R Ashwin is the next to walk, Shanaka picks up his second, India 50/5. Ashwin reaches for it and ends up hitting it straight to Dimuth Karunaratne at backward point. Ashwin was searching for that drive and he was never poised to execute that shot.
1015 hrs IST: Shanaka and Gamage are having a go as Suranga Lakmal gets a rest. Gamage’s latest delivery is a bouncer that moves right up to Ashwin’s neck, the latter tries to fend it off, ends up taking it right on his right thumb. The ball moves towards his off stump but Ashwin kicks it away before calling for medical help
0957 hrs IST: 21 overs gone in this match and India are 39/4. Ashwin and Pujara are now in the middle. Pujara as solid as ever while Ashwin has had a few close calls. Suranga Lakmal has thus far conceded five runs and threatens to take a wicket every time a batsman brings the willow near his delivery.
0941 hrs IST: GONE! Ajinkya Rahane pokes at a delivery that is floated outside off, nicks it to the keeper. Dasun Shanaka strikes in his very first over. It looked like things were settling for India with Rahane and Pujara in the middle but that was not the case as it turns out
0829 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane hits a four off Suranga Lakmal, the first runs conceded by the pacer so far in the match. He has bowled seven consecutive maiden overs before this and finally Rahane gets off the mark by somehow jabbing at it and getting the ball past gully. It was not pretty and Rahane had very little control over it, but tuns nonetheless off Lakmal
0921 hrs IST: Ajinkya Rahane faces Suranga Lakmal and leaves five balls but the sixth, he goes for and it misses the outside edge by inches. Lakmal has now crossed Jerome Taylor for consecutive dot balls
0914 hrs IST: Gamage bowls the final ball of the 11th over to start proceedings on Day 1. Cheteshwar Pujara leaves it and India’s score remains 17/3 at the end of it.
0902 hrs IST: It pretty much was a stormy day for India as it was for Kolkata on Day 1. In fact it was a a midwinter day’s nightmare for the hosts and if you want to know how events unfolded, look no further: India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: A midwinter day’s nightmare for India on Day 1
0853 hrs IST: Suranga Lakmal ran over the visitors when rain wasn’t running over the Eden Gardens on Day 1. The second day’s proceedings are scheduled for an early start, with 9:15 AM IST being the scheduled time for the first session to begin. The weather forecast still is rains and so interruptions can be expected on Day 2 also. India, though will be chiefly concerned with not letting any more wickets slip out of their hands. It may be the perfect practice they would have been hoping for before they embark on the South Africa tour, but Virat Kohli and co. would not be too happy to become the first Indian team to be beaten by Sri Lanka at home in a Test match.
Courtesy : indianexpress
