Rahul, Dhawan wipe off sizeable deficit
Dhawan falls for 94 after 166-run stand as India ends day four on 171 for 1, ahead by 49.
In direct contrast to its first innings, India turned in a powerful batting display on the fourth evening of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Kolkata to surge closer to safety on Sunday (November 19).
The surface and conditions changed character at the Eden Gardens as the clouds disappeared and the sun broke through. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan made the most of the improved batting conditions as India, trailing by 122 runs on the first innings, reached 171 for 1 in its second innings when bad light ended play. Dhawan was dismissed late in the evening for a 116-ball 94. Keeping Rahul (73) company at the close was Cheteshwar Pujara.
Sri Lanka had earlier extended its first innings from its overnight 165 for 4 to 294 on the back of Rangana Herath’s 67. For India, the pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Bhuveshwar Kumar picked up four wickets apiece.
Bad light brings Day 4 to an early finish as India end on 171/1, thanks to half-centuries from KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. They lead by 49 runs heading into the final day.
Given the quantum of India’s lead which stands at 49, and that only a day’s play remains in this rain-affected Test, a draw is the most likely outcome, unless there are dramatics aplenty on the final day.
In a Test where it hadn’t yet dominated a session outright, India’s opening partnership corrected that anomaly in some style. The two openers matched each other stroke for stroke, especially while driving crisply through the off-side, and Dhawan greeted the belated introduction of Herath’s left-arm spin by twice depositing him over long-on.
Despite trailing by a significant margin, the openers were positive and lopped off 70 by tea in only 17 overs. The last session brought 101 runs in 22.3 overs. The bowling seemed to lack penetration, and was handicapped by the absence of Suranga Lakmal for large parts of the innings. The pacer, the destroyer in chief during India’s first-innings 172, was off the field for some time and thus bowled only eight overs of his side’s 39.3 so far.
Sri Lanka’s only success came when Dhawan stepped out to smash Dasun Shanaka but only succeeded in getting a thick inside-edge that was gobbled up by Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps. Strangely, Dhawan chose to review the decision, meaning India lost a review too.
The Dhawan-Rahul show meant the second half of the day was firmly India’s, but Herath had ensured the first half belonged to the visiting side.
Herath had walked in at 201 for 7, with Shami having found wonderful rhythm, ably supported by Bhuvneshwar. Between them, the duo had taken three wickets in 10 balls after Dinesh Chandimal and Dickwella, the overnight batsmen, had stretched their partnership to 62. Shami had threatened the outside edge several times and finally found it, Dickwella snapped up by Virat Kohli at second slip. In the next over, Shanaka padded up to a Bhuvneshwar inducker, having misread the ball completely to be trapped in front. Shami then returned to prise out Chandimal, who had never looked comfortable during his stay and finally got the edge he had looked like getting all through.
Herath and Dilruwan Perera got together for a mood changing 43-run stand, aided by an overturned review from which Perera benefitted. Eventually Perera did fall to Shami, a peach that moved away and got the nick into Wriddhiman Saha’s safe hands. But Herath was far from done, continuing on his merry way. A cover-drive for four brought up his half-century while also taking the lead to 100, and he fell only after the second new ball was taken, slashing Bhuvneshwar straight to deep point.
Kohli only used two overs of spin in the entire extended first session, even coming on to bowl himself.
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