Mumbai Indians

Rishabh Pant’s fine innings of 96 and Hanuma Vihari’s half-century meant India ended the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at 357/6. 

Lasith Embuldeniya mustered the best effort among the Sri Lankan bowlers, picking up Virat Kohli and Mayank Agarwal to end the day with figures of 2/107. 

It was a day of many occasions - Virat Kohli played his 100th Test, Rohit Sharma captained India for the first time in Test matches while it was also the Sri Lankan men’s 300th Test match in history. 

Here’s how the day went. 

Kohli-Vihari rebuild takes India to lunch 

Captain Ro and Mayank Agarwal opened the batting for India and started briskly. The duo put on 44 in nine overs before the Hitman was dismissed by Lahiru Kumara after pulling one to fine leg. 

Hanuma Vihari, India’s new no.3, and Agarwal kept the scoreboard moving before the latter was trapped in front by the arm ball from the impressive Embuldeniya. 

Virat Kohli walked in at the fall of Agarwal’s wicket and on a historic occasion, he displayed no nerves as he brought out his entire repertoire of shots. 

Kohli and Vihari patiently built up a partnership and took India to lunch at 109/2, firmly in the ascendancy. 

Pant stabilises after double-strike 

Kohli and Vihari continued to build on their platform, stealing singles and hitting the gaps with ease. Vihari soon brought up his fifth Test half-century. 

Kohli, who looked in imperious form in his 100th Test, was well on his way to his own fifty but he was undone by Embuldeniya, who got the former captain playing down the wrong line. The duo had put on a 90-run stand. 

Vihari fell soon after, inside-edging a drive on to the stumps off Vishwa Fernando, leaving India at 175/4. 

Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer then stabilised the innings, sharing a 53-run stand, mostly dealing in boundaries before the latter was caught leg-before by Dhananjaya de Silva. 

Pant falls short of a century 

Pant had taken some calculated risks to score his runs, seeing out most balls but attacking anything short or too full with venom. Ravindra Jadeja knocked the ball around at the other end to allow the wicket-keeper to attack. 

The 24-year-old soon brought up his fifty off 73 balls. 

Pant then let loose a few overs before the second new ball was due. He was severe on Embuldeniya, taking him for 22 runs in an over and then also went after de Silva to swiftly move from 50 to 93 in the space of 16 balls. 

However, he fell in the first over of the second new ball. After surviving a DRS call, having inside-edged one onto his pads, Pant left a bat-pad gap to be bowled on 96 and slowly dragged himself off the field. 

Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja then shared an unbeaten 25-run stand to end the day. 

We hope the steady partnerships and fireworks continue on Day 2. 

How much do you think India will put on the scoreboard, Paltan?

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Ravindra Jadeja’s 175* took India to a mammoth 574/8 when new skipper Rohit Sharma decided to declare the innings and let his bowlers have a go at the Sri Lankan batters.

The move paid off as the star-studded Indian attack reduced Sri Lanka to 108/4 by the end of Day 2.

It was the perfect start to the weekend from India, who are in command after an exhilarating day.

Record-breaking Jadeja

India’s primary spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin starred with the bat in the opening session.

The duo had put on 25 together last night and continued milking the runs, stitching a 130-run stand before Ashwin was dismissed for 61.

Jadeja, who had looked in control all innings, soon brought up his second Test hundred just before lunch. Post the break, Jayant Yadav fell, leaving India at 471/8.

It was then that Jadeja decided to attack the tired Lankan bowlers. Just like Pant on the first day, the southpaw took apart Lasith Embuldeniya and Dhananjaya de Silva to move from 100 to 150 in 41 balls.

Yet another six off Embuldeniya took Jadeja to 168*, making it the highest score by an Indian man batting at no. 7 or lower in Tests. He surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev’s 163, which also came against Sri Lanka at Kanpur in 1986.

By the time India declared, Jadeja and Mohammad Shami had put on 103 runs for the 10th wicket, with the latter contributing 19 to that total. It was the third 100-run stand Jadeja was a part of in the first innings.

He was not done yet.

Indian bowlers keep Sri Lanka in check

Sri Lankan openers, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne started well, putting on 48 together.

Ashwin, who had been troubling both batters, then provided the breakthrough for India, trapping Thirimanne in front, who also lost a DRS attempt after reviewing.

Jadeja, the man with the golden arm, was brought into the attack in the 25th over and struck immediately. After a big shout for an LBW off his first ball, Jadeja got his second to turn in big and catch Karunaratne in front of the wicket to leave Sri Lanka at 59/2.

Pathum Nissanka and Angelo Mathews rebuilt the innings with a 37-run stand before Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Mathews. Boom had earlier bowled Nissanka off a slower ball but had overstepped, giving the youngster a reprieve.

Ashwin then returned for his second spell and dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva. Nissanka and Charith Asalanka then saw off the day.

Let’s hope India’s bowlers continue in the same vein on day 3. What will be Sri Lanka’s first innings score, Paltan?

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India had a clear task ahead on Day 3 of them after knocking over four Sri Lankan wickets on Day 2; to get the remaining sixteen wickets. How did that go? Let’s find out.

The resistance before the collapse

Overnight batters Nissanka and Asalanka stitched together 58 runs and looked solid in defense. It looked like our bowlers would have to toil hard to dismiss them. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Jasprit Bumrah foxed Asalanka with a genius slower delivery that the umpire gave not out but Rohit promptly reviewed and rightly so. The decision was overturned and the landslide began. Sri Lanka went from 161/5 to 174 all out in the span of 6 overs with Jadeja picking up 4. And Rohit decided to enforce the follow-on.

The landslide continues

Our bowlers picked up right where they left off in the first innings with Ashwin taking just 9 balls to knock over Thirimanne. Nissanka who was the leader of their resistance in the first innings was trapped by Ashwin as well. There were short partnerships that threatened to derail us but they were short-lived. Ashwin or Jadeja were always on hand to break the partnership. It all fell apart for the Lankans. They were eventually bundled out for 178, 222 short of our score.

Key performers

Rohit laid the foundation for this impressive win with his intent with the bat right from the outset. Virat was unlucky to get one that kept low on his 100^th because he looked primed for a big one. Vihari was given the big shoes of Pujara to fill at #3 and did a remarkable job. Pant picked up where his skipper left off whacking balls all around the park and leaving the Lankans in disarray falling just 4 short of what would have been a well deserved century. Ravi Ashwin returned to the side after injury and stepped up with both bat and ball breaking the back of the Lankans. Last but certainly not the least, this match belonged to Ravindra Jadeja. He scored 175* with the bat and picked up 9 scalps with the ball over both innings. If he had gotten his 10^th, he would have been the first player ever to have scored more than 150 and picked up 10 in a game. It wasn’t to be but that doesn’t take away from a stunning all-round performance from the man dubbed ‘”The Rockstar” by the late Shane Warne.

Captain Hitman said in his post-match interview that it was a near perfect performance by us and it ticked nearly all the boxes from his perspective. We can now look forward to a different challenge in Bengaluru, which will be the pink ball day-night Test. If our past record is anything to go by, we’ve got this.