India’s lead swells to 342, Kohli falls cheaply but Pant lights up Chinnaswamy stadium

PTI, Mar 13, 2022, 7:04 PM IST

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Bengaluru: Skipper Rohit Sharma gifted away his wicket but Rishabh Pant conjured up a record-breaking half-century as India took a commanding position in the second Test against Sri Lanka by extending their overall lead to 342 at dinner on the second day, here Sunday.

With plenty of time at their disposal after bundling out Sri Lanka for 109 in the first session for a 143-run first-innings lead, the India batters gained more experience of playing with pink ball on a wicket that assisted spinners. Shreyas Iyer (18) and Ravindra Jadeja (10) took India to 199 for five at the break after flamboyant Pant hammered Lankan bowlers all around the park.

There is never a dull moment when Pant is at the crease and it did not change today. He cut, pulled, swept, reverse swept, drove, charged down the wicket at will, and raised his fifty off just 28 balls with 40 of those runs coming in boundaries. It was the fastest Test fifty by an Indian, obliterating the 30-ball effort by Kapil Dev against Pakistan in 1982. He fell for an even 50, becoming the third scalp of left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama (3/50).

The Indians scored at a good pace in the second session with Lankan bowlers failing to exploit the spin-friendly conditions.

Rohit was calculative in selecting his shots before lofting off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva straight to Angelo Mathews to fall for 46. His footwork looking good, he largely swept left-arm spinners and charged the wicket to counter the off-spin of De Silva.

However, he could not resist the temptation of going after De Silva when he closed in on a half-century.

Before walking back, Rohit added 42 runs with fellow opener Mayank Agarwal (22) and 56 for the second wicket with Hanuma Vihari (35), who also frittered away a solid start.

Agarwal edged one from left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, who got the ball to turn away from a good length, and the edge from the Indian’s bat was taken by De Silva.

Vihari, who seemed to be making the number three spot his own, missed a straight one from Jayawickrama and lost his off stump.

Jayawickrama also sent back Virat Kohli (13), who again fell leg before and his search for that elusive 71st international hundred just got longer. He is without an international hundred in 73 innings now. It was another delivery that kept low and he was trapped on the back-foot.

In the morning session, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah (5/24) completed his eighth five-wicket haul and first at home as India polished off the Sri Lankan lower-order in a jiffy.

Sri Lanka resumed at 86 for six and India required less than 30 minutes to wrap their innings. Bumrah and off-spinner R Ashwin (2/30) scalped two batters each as Sri Lanka’s shoddy display continued.

Stumper batter Niroshan Dickwella (21) started off with consecutive boundaries off Bumrah. He opened the face of the bat to gently place the ball between the gaps.

Ashwin expectedly bowled from the other end and troubled Embuldeniya (1) straight away, his balls turning from the rough.

Embuldeniya could not handle a short one from Bumrah, miscuing a pull to be caught by Rishabh Pant. That was an irresponsible shot under the circumstances.

Surnaga Lakmal showed intent to stay at the wicket but could not read a carrom ball from Ashwin and saw his timber disturbed. This was immediately after he lofted one over mid-on for a boundary.

Bumrah completed his five-wicket haul when he had Dickwella caught behind. The short ball jumped off the track, touched the shoulder of the bat before going into Pant’s gloves.

Vishwa Fernando went after Ashwin in the next over but was soon deceived by another carrom ball and was stumped by Pant as the batter had lunged forward.