Slow pitch will make our job harder: Ashwin

COLOMBO: India spin spearhead R Ashwin declared the bowlers were in for a hard day’s work on Sunday as they strive to get the remaining Sri Lankan wickets because the Sinhalese Sports Club ground surface had changed and slowed down. For the first time in the three-Test series, Virat Kohli’s boys found how difficult things can get in these conditions after Kusal Mendis and opener Dimuth Karunaratne put on 191 runs for the second wicket after being asked to follow-on in the second Test on Saturday. “I think this wicket will get slower and slower. It is not going to be easy work tomorrow, for sure. We will have to be really disciplined. I thought we gave a few runs more than what we should have ideally given today. Tomorrow, we can probably try and squeeze them out and try and nip a few wickets up early. “It is going to be very important. Mind you, it is not going to be easy because it (pitch) is slowing down at a very, very quick pace. Edges aren’t carrying. So, that means we will have to stick to our guns and try to prise out a few wickets,” warned Ashwin, adding: “The second new ball, therefore, becomes important.”

Ashwin was India’s most successful bowler in the Sri Lanka first innings in the morning with a five-wicket haul, the 26th of his career.

His battle with Karunaratne is turning out to be a good contest.

Ashwin prised out the lefthanded batsman for 97 in the second innings at Galle and in the first innings here, but the opener has come back well in the second innings and is batting on 92.

“In the morning I didn’t bowl a lot to the left-handers. I got all the right-handers’ wickets. There is some help if you go wider for the righthanders.

“For left-handers, obviously the ball goes even further away so it enabled to get beaten more often than not. Karunaratne played really, really well. They batted inside the line a lot when they defended, and when they attacked they were not in two minds. They attacked really well,” said Ashwin.

It is not going to be easy because it (pitch) is slowing down at a very quick pace. Edges aren’t carrying. So, that means we will have to stick to our guns On what India need to do

Karunaratne played really, really well. They batted inside the line a lot when they defended, and when they attacked they were not in two minds On Sri Lanka’s resistance