Sri Lanka Fight to Avoid Follow-On as Rain Halts India Test
Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 85 keeps Sri Lanka alive after India’s bowlers reduce the hosts to 265-8 on a rain-hit third day in Colombo
Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha leads the fight against India on a rain-hit third day in Colombo.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka battled to avoid the follow-on against India as rain brought an early end to the third day of the second Test on Tuesday.
The hosts reached 265-8, still 238 runs behind India’s declared first-innings total of 503-9. Sri Lanka need another 39 runs to avoid being asked to bat again.
Only 80.4 of the scheduled 98 overs were completed because of persistent rain.
Dinusha Leads Sri Lanka’s Resistance
Sonal Dinusha once again provided Sri Lanka with crucial resistance. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 85 at the close after helping the hosts recover from 173-7.
Dinusha first added 57 runs with Keshara Nuwantha, who made 18, before sharing another 35-run partnership with Lahiru Kumara.
Kumara survived for more than an hour and was unbeaten on eight when bad weather ended play.
Dinusha has now continued his impressive form after scoring 100 and 84 in the first Test in Galle.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara also contributed significantly, making 80 before Ravindra Jadeja dismissed him. He said afterwards that he was disappointed not to convert the innings into a bigger score.
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India Target Quick Finish
India fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel said his side planned to dismiss Sri Lanka quickly on the fourth day and enforce the follow-on.
India’s bowlers had already made significant progress, with Prasidh Krishna taking three wickets. His extra bounce repeatedly troubled the Sri Lankan batters.
Spinner Suthar also claimed three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Jadeja took one each.
Sri Lanka resumed the day at 8-2 and lost two more wickets during the morning session. India then struck three times after lunch before Dinusha and his partners mounted a late resistance.
India Hold Strong Advantage
India’s first innings was built around centuries from Devdutt Padikkal (117) and Dhruv Jurel (115 not out) as they declared on 503-9.
With Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind and only two wickets remaining, India remain firmly in control of the Test.
However, further rain could complicate their plans, with the weather already limiting the amount of play possible on the third day.
