Riding on tons by Chandimal, Mathews visitors avoid follow on; score 356/9 at stumps
After battling pollution a day before, Sri Lanka finally reminded Delhi crowd of their batting skills with skipper Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews leading the charge with centuries on Day Three here at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Monday.
With pollution level continued to be way higher than the normal, the two experienced Sri Lankans overcame breathing concerns to ensure that hosts will have to bat again as the score crossed follow on hurdle to read 356 for nine at the end of day’s play. The Chandimal-Mathews combine consumed 79.1 overs out of the total 130 bowled in Lankan innings.
Chandimal needed urgent medical attention early in the day when his team physio was seen giving him some inhaler to overcome pollution affect.
Mathews, on the other hand, should be thankful to Indian fielders for giving him at least three lives, four in all if added another drop catch of Sunday. Having been dropped by Wriddhiman Saha on 93, Mathews looked in trouble while dragging on to his hundred. Indian skipper Virat Kohli sensed it and took second new ball at this juncture and passed it to Ishant Sharma.
At 98, Mathews edged it to slips where Rohit Sharma was found napping. The Sri Lankan veteran finally reached his first three-figure mark in the next over to bury the ghosts of 2009 tour when he was ran out by Indians at 99.
Indian substitute Vijay Shankar once again obliged him at 104 before R Ashwin finally managed to get him caught behind at 111.
Sri Lanka ended the day 180 runs behind the Indian total of 536 for seven declared. Skipper Chandimal managed to keep Indian bowlers at bay for entire day, but has only last man Lakshan Sandakan to help him prolong his marathon innings of 341-ball 147 on Tuesday.
If Mathews was a tad tentative thorough out his innings, Chandimal looked in complete flow. The visiting skipper not only showed patience but also helped his partners at the other end to remain composed.
Indian speedster Mohammed Shami, though, was unlucky to get just one wicket of Suranga Lakmal.
There was a brief time in the beginning when Lankan skipper was troubled by Shami. After being hit on his glove, Chandimal failed to take his front foot ahead completely thus resulting in edging one which fell a bit short of first slip.
Things started move forward for India after Mathews’ dismissal. Both Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja made their presence felt with the help of some assistance from the Kotla pitch. It was soon that hosts lost a review of Chandimal leg-before off Ashwin.
Coming back from an MRI scan after being hit on head on Day One, Sadeera Samarawickrama came good with a fighting 33 before being caught by Saha, who dived low to his right off Ishant.
At this point, visitors were still 219 runs behind India total and the danger of being asked to bat again was looming with Ashwin dismissing Roshen Silva and Niroshan Dickwella for ducks.
Debutant Silva was seduced by Indian offie’s looped delivery to offer a bat-pad catch to to short-leg, while Dickwella failed to read his faster one before it shattered his stumps.
Lakmal and Lahiru Gamage also had a short stay at the middle but it was No. 11 batsman Sandakan who showed some courage to give company to his skipper before bad light stopped play five overs before the schedule play.
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 "Angelo Mathews (L) and Dinesh Chandimal")
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