Kolkata: If one has to sum up India’s dominance in the series so far, then the second day of the third test perhaps would be the best example. Beginning the day at 329/6, the visitors lost Wriddhiman Saha pretty early for just 16 runs but they came back with a bang.
Few days back, the legendary Kapil Dev had said at an event that Hardik Pandya has the tools for a good all-rounder and on Sunday, the Baroda lad did justice to that statement.
At a time when the Sri Lankan bowlers were looking to carry on with the momentum they had gained on the first day, the aggressive batsman came out all guns blazing and probably played one of the best innings in Test cricket, in recent times.
He reached the half-century mark of just 61 balls but what followed was a treat to watch for every Indian cricket fan.
He scored fifty more runs of just 25 balls, hitting the hapless Lankan bowling to all parts of the ground and brought up his maiden Test ton of just 86 balls in his third test match.
The highlight of his blistering innings was the 26 runs he hit in one over bowled by Malinda Pushpakumara. Kuldeep Yadav, played second fiddle to Pandya and the duo shared a 62-run partnership. Pandya also put on 66 runs with Umesh Yadav which helped India post 487 runs in the first innings. He was eventually dismissed for a well-played 109.
Lakshan Sandakan was the best bowler for the hosts as he ended up with a five-wicket haul (5/132) and also became the first chinaman bowler to take five wickets in a Test innings since Paul Adam’s 7/128 against Pakistan in 2003.
The Indian bowlers further carried on with the momentum as they ripped apart the Sri Lankan batting. Mohammad Shami dismissed both the openers-Dimuth Karunaratne (4) and Upul Tharanga (5) which set the tone for the rest of the innings to come. None of the Sri Lankan batsmen showed resistance as Kuldeep Yadav, playing only his second test justified his selection with his second four-wicket haul conceding just 40 runs. The left-arm chinaman bowler was also a livewire in the field as he came up with a brilliant throw to dismiss Kusal Mendis, who was looking good on 18.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal fought a lone battle with 48 runs and wicketkeeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella too came up with 29 runs but that wasn’t enough to take Sri Lanka even near to the huge Indian total.
Virat Kohli, for the second successive time enforced the follow-on and Umesh Yadav made good use of this decision and sent back Tharanga for just 7 runs.
India went back to the dressing room the as happier side as Sri Lanka still trail by 333 runs and Kohli and co just need to nine more wickets to pull of a whitewash and win their fifth successive test match against the islanders.