India set 176 for victory after Chandimal ton

 

Sri Lanka were well and truly inside the rabbit hole at 108 for 5 on Friday (August 14), but Dinesh Chandimal (162 not out) — with contributions from the lower order — found a way out faster than Alice as they set India a target of 176. The home side was bowled out for 367 during the final session on the third day of the first Test at Galle.

R Ashwin led the way for India, taking his third ten-wicket haul in Tests and his first one outside India, grabbing four wickets in the second innings for match figures of 10 for 160. Amit Mishra also snapped up three wickets in Sri Lanka’s second dig.

While Chandimal was undoubtedly the star of the day, reaching his highest score in Tests, Ajinkya Rahane made amends for a duck in the first innings as he become the first fielder in Test cricket to take eight catches in a match.

There were several anxious moments at the end of the first session, but Chandimal employed the sweep shot to much better effect after the break. The fact that there wasn’t much batting to come after him and Lahiru Thirimanne would have played on Chandimal’s mind, but instead of going the circumspect route, he was confidence personified.

It certainly took India by surprise as Mishra was hit for two sixes and Ashwin conceded 13 runs in an over, after which Virat Kohli decided he had seen enough and brought back Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh. But that did little to halt the momentum as Chandimal and Thirimanne continued to gallop at over five an over, the wicketkeeper batsman bringing up his half-century in just 48 balls.

The return of Ashwin saw the 125-run stand come to an end with the wicket of Thirimanne (44), Rahane snapping up another brilliant catch at slip to go with his earlier stunner to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara.

Chandimal brought up his fourth Test century shortly after tea while Jehan Mubarak chipped in with an invaluable 49 before Harbhajan bagged his first wicket of the match. There wasn’t much resistance from Sri Lanka after that, but Chandimal remained unbeaten, with 19 fours and four sixes in his 169-ball knock.

If Sri Lanka were looking down the barrel at 5 for 2 on Thursday evening, when they slipped to 5 for 3 — Dhammika Prasad perishing to a Varun Aaron bouncer off the first ball of the morning — a three-day finish looked very much on the cards.

But Aaron and Ishant soon got carried away with the short ball strategy, allowing Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews to settle as boundary balls were all but gift-wrapped to the batsmen.

Kohli plugged one end, tossing the ball to Ashwin in the 11th over, but though he was getting appreciable bounce and turn, the batsmen looked more assured and were willing to take him on.

But just as the 87-run partnership was looking threatening, Ashwin had Sangakkara caught by Rahane, who pulled off a brilliant catch at slip to remove Sangakkara for a 70-ball 40. One wicket begat another as Amit Mishra, replacing Harbhajan in the 26th over, had Mathews out for a 63-ball 39 at silly point eight balls later.

It was as if Sri Lanka were batting on a minefield as Chandimal then attempted a sweep, only managing to loop the ball to backward short leg. Kohli and co looked astonished that Bruce Oxenford, the umpire, remained unmoved. Replays suggested that the ball had brushed the toe end of the bat.

Two more close calls were turned down, both off Mishra, with Thirimanne reprieved off an inside edge that went to pad and into silly point’s hands, as India were left to rue what could have been with Sri Lanka at 108 for 5 after the morning session. (WISDEN)