SANJJEEV K SAMYAL

It took just six balls in the Sri Lankan innings to see the contrast in fortunes of the two teams. On a dry surface prepared to check the Indian batsmen, Rangana Herath and Co toiled without much reward for two days in the second Test at the Singhalese Sports Club ground.

Employing Sri Lanka’s tactics, India also opened their bowling with a spinner, skipper Virat Kohli asking R Ashwin to share the new ball with Mohammed Shami. And the off-spinner got a wicket in his first over – dismissing Upul Tharanga for nought -to reduce Sri Lanka to zero for one in reply to India’s 622 for nine declared.

Ashwin added one more wicket to his tally, taking out Sri Lanka’s top-scorer in the first Test, opener Dimuth Karunaratne (25), to leave them tottering at 50 for two at close. It was the start the home team would have dreaded about after being made to field for two days in oppressive humidity.

Sri Lanka did well to achieve their main target of getting India’s overnight pair, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, early. But their challenge for the day had only begun. R Ashwin (54), Wriddhiman Saha (67) and Ravindra Jadeja (70no) all struck half-centuries to dent the opposition’s chances.

The day anyway had started on a demoralising note for Sri Lanka when their only pacer in the team, Nuwan Pradeep, failed to join the team on the field due to a left hamstring injury.

They couldn’t believe their luck when part-time pacer Dimuth Karunaratne got Pujara’s wicket for the addition of just five runs to the overnight tally, ending the 217-run fourth wicket partnership. Then, debutant left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara produced a sharply turning delivery to have Rahane stumped for his maiden Test wicket.

But the joy was shortlived. All the Indian lower-order batsmen made sizeable contributions to make it another long day in the