India cruise towards a massive win unless Sri Lanka batters can thwart them. Chandimal injury will add to home team woes. BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor).
Sri Lanka must be praying to the weather God’s for survival as India applied a stranglehold on the first Test in Galle.
The Indians, although depleted, showed depth in their ranks as they batted Sri Lanka out of winning consideration with a mammoth 462, then skittling the home team out for 284.
Sonal Dinusha announced himself with a fighting century, 100 off 168 balls, and with recalled Niroshan Dickwella a subdued 80 off 116, saved Sri Lanka from total collapse after India ripped through the top order. They added a valuable 146 for the sixth wicket.
Manu Suthar 4 for 76 and Ravindra Jadeja 3 for 57 kept Sri Lanka’s batters in check.
A 300 plus target with two days to go, and a further setback due to Dinesh Chandimal injuring himself in the outfield while fielding, poses a grim picture for the Lankans to try and stave off humiliation.
India showed that they have done their homework well as they set themselves up for a big win in what is no more a feared fortress for the home team but instead, a venue of horrors for them.
Beaten soundly by Australia in their last series and Pakistan before that, Sri Lanka have failed to realise or acknowledge that a turning track is not the end all for success or a given advantage to the home team anymore.
Their earlier success rode on the magical ability of Mutthiah Muralitharan, who was one of a kind, followed by Rangana Herath and Akila Dhananjaya and Ajantha Mendis who were a class above the current crop.
Current lead tweaker Prabath Jayasuriya grabbed 4 wickets in another successful stint at this venue, but the rest struggled for success against some aggressive Indian batting. Debutante Keshara Nuvantha grabbed 3 for 175.
India showed they have worked out this venue much like most others, while Sri Lanka obstinately persists with memories of past success without the cattle to deliver similar results.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat was the first volley they fired. Then running up a winning total all but assures them of a cruise to victory unless Sri Lanka’s fickle batting can surprise them. That seems a long shot under the current position on a wicket renowned for treacherous turn and movement for speedsters from day three onwards.
The Galle wickect has so far shown the same characteristics of a prodigious turner on day one and it will deteriorate and worsen later. But Sri Lanka’s spinners toiled with little affect letting India’s batters score at will even letting debutante Devdutt Padikkal notch up a majestic century.
Padikkal struck 167 off 230 balls and with K.L Rahul 82 off 175 balls, Dhouv Jarel 51 off 68 deliveries and the rest smashed their way to a winning total.
A total over 300 in the first innings has usually resulted in the team batting first having a demoralising advantage with run scoring in the last few days yielding not much as the batters struggle to survive on a treacherous turning strip.
It’s an uphill task from here for Dhananjaya de Silva and his men to save face unless they can apply the same discipline and application with the bat, a task which appears unlikely.
Anything else wouldn’t do.
