India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 4 — As it happened...
Live cricket score and updates from Day 4 of 1st Test between India and Sri Lanka, being played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
So, here's what happened today in a nutshell. Indian pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav shared all ten wickets to restrict the Lankans to 294. Then, openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan laid a solid foundation in the second innings. But the left-handed batsman from Delhi missed out on a deserving hundred. India reached 171/1 at the draw of stumps, with Rahul (73) and Cheteshwar Pujara (2) unbeaten.
Brief Scores
India 1st innings: 172 all out & 171/1 (KL Rahul 73 not out, Shikhar Dhawan 94; Dasun Shanaka 1/29)
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 294 all out in 83.4 Overs (Herath Rangana 67; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4/88)
Stumps! Yet another premature end, 18.3 overs early. After a poor start, India dominated the day to take a 49-run lead.
Over 39.3 | Score 171/1 (KL Rahul 73; Cheteshwar Pujara 2)
Shikhar Dhawan misses out on a deserving hundred by six runs. He played rather recklessly, walking towards the ball then trying to work it around only to find a faint edge. He then wastes a review.
Wicket: Shikhar Dhawan c Niroshan Dickwella b Dasun Shanaka 94(116)
It happened off the first ball of the 38th over. Cheteshwar Pujara is the new man for India, and the umpires are busy checking the light meters. It's getting dark in Kolkata.
And that's all we have for today. Another early stoppage thanks to bad light.
Over 36 | Score 159/0 (KL Rahul 69; Shikhar Dhawan 88)
India's lead is now 37, with 54 runs coming in the last ten overs. In the process, openers Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan also have created some feats, including this one:
- This is the second highest 1st innings leads wiped out by Indian openers, after 132 by 132 Devang Gandhi and Sadagoppan Ramesh against New Zealand at Mohali in 1999.
Over 31 | Score 140/0 (KL Rahul 64; Shikhar Dhawan 74)
This is brilliant stuff from the Indian openers. It seems like they are in a race to hit to first hundred of the match.
Shikhar Dhawan, after playing the supporting role to KL Rahul, is taking on Lankan bowlers, specially Rangana Herath.
India now take a lead of 18 runs.
Over 26 | Score 110/0 (KL Rahul 59; Shikhar Dhawan 50)
Fifty for Shikhar Dhawan too, his third in 27th match.
In the last ten overs, India have added another 45 runs to reduce the deficit to 12 runs.
Over 20 | Score 90/0 (KL Rahul 54; Shikhar Dhawan 35)
What a start to the post-Tea session. KL Rahul hits Dilruwan Perera for a four first ball, then reached his ninth fifty in 11 innings.
India now trail Lanka by 32 runs.
Over 17 | Score 70/0 (KL Rahul 36; Shikhar Dhawan 33)
Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan continue their good play. They have reduced the deficit to 52 runs at Tea.
Over 15 | Score 61/0 (KL Rahul 33; Shikhar Dhawan 27)
Indian openers are scoring at a decent rate, and the difference is reduced to 62 runs.
Both the batsmen have hit four fours each even as Lanka utilised four bowlers in Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Dasun Shanaka and Dilruwan Perera.
Over 10 | Score 36/0 (KL Rahul 21; Shikhar Dhawan 15)
Solid start to India's second innings by openers Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. India still trail by 86 runs, though with a minimum of 38 overs left in the day's play.
Over 3 | Score 17/0 (KL Rahul 13; Shikhar Dhawan 4)
Good start to India's second innings with openers Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan playing with freedom.
Lanka still lead by 105 runs, with a minimum of 55 overs' play left in the day.
Bowling figures:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 27-5-88-4
Mohammed Shami 26.3-5-100-4
Umesh Yadav 20-1-79-2
Over 83.4 | Score 294 All Out (Lahiru Gamage 0)
Mohammed Shami cleans up Suranga Lakmal's wicket to fold up Sri Lanka. But the visitors have taken a crucial 122-run lead.
This is only the third time that pacers have taken ten wickets for India at home, after 1981 vs England at Mumbai and 1983 vs West Indies at Ahmedabad.
Over 81 | Score 281/8 (Rangana Herath 57; Suranga Lakmal 12)
Lead crossed 100. In the last ten overs, Lanka have scored 32 runs and this stand between Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal is now worth 37 runs.
Meanwhile, Herath has reached his fifty.
Over 74 | Score 263/8 (Rangana Herath 43; Suranga Lakmal 10)
One expensive over. Nine runs from Umesh Yadav's 17th over, with Suranga Lakmal hitting the fifth ball for a four. And LUNCH. Lanka have taken a 91-run lead with crafty Rangana Herath unbeaten on 43.
Over 73 | Score 254/8 (Rangana Herath 38; Suranga Lakmal 6)
In the last ten overs, Lanka have added another 30 runs losing a wicket. Rangana Herath is batting with a purpose, in his own style, and giving impetus to the visitor's cause. He has hit five fours in his 65-ball stay so far.
Over 63 | Score 244/8 (Rangana Herath 34; Suranga Lakmal 0)
What a delivery. Cracker from Mohammed Shami tp send back Dilruwan Perera. Caught behind. Pitched around the off, forcing Perera to play, but the slightest of movement gets a fine nick. Similar to the one which undone KL Rahul.
Wicket: Dilruwan Perera c Wriddhiman Saha b Mohammed Shami 5(34)
Suranga Lakmal is the new man for Lanka. They have taken a lead of 72 runs.
Over 63 | Score 202/7 (Dilruwan Perera 0; Rangana Herath 0)
Virat Kohli introduces himself into the attack. Five runs from the over as Lanka extent their lead by 52 runs. In the last ten overs, the visitors have scored 24 runs, losing two wickets.
A little while ago, off the last ball of the 56th over, a Mohammed Shami delivery convinces umpire to send back Dilruwan Perera. LBW. But a walking Dilruwan suddenly asked for the review and survived. What prompted him to take the review, that's the talking point now. And some are going back to that infamous 'brainfade' incident.
Over 55 | Score 202/7 (Dilruwan Perera 0; Rangana Herath 0)
A brilliant spell of play for India with pacers Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar toying with Lankan batsmen. Bhuvi returns, who leaked 13 runs in his previous over, makes a brilliant come back to trap Dasun Shanaka in front with umpires call coming into the play even as the Lankan batsman called for the review.
Wicket: Dasun Shanaka lbw b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 0(3)
That happened off the third ball of the 54th over.
Then, in the next over, Shami sends Dinesh Chandimal with a beauty, caught behind.
Wicket: Dinesh Chandimal c Wriddhiman Saha b Mohammed Shami 28(57)
That happened off the second ball of the 55th over.
Lanka have lot three wickets in a space of ten deliveries. What a fightback from the Indians.
Lanka's lead is 30.
Over 53 | Score 200/5 (Dinesh Chandimal 27; Dasun Shanaka 0)
Then, Mohammed Shami produces a peach of a delivery to get rid of Niroshan Dickwella, courtesy a good catch at second slip by Virat Kohli.
Wicket: Niroshan Dickwella c Virat Kohli b Mohammed Shami 35(38)
That happened off the penultimate delivery of the over. Dasun Shanaka is the new man for Lanka. And they have taken a 28-run lead.
Over 52 | Score 196/4 (Dinesh Chandimal 27; Niroshan Dickwella 31)
One huge over for Sri Lanka. 13 runs from the 52nd over, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as Dinesh Chandimal hits back-to-back fours off the third and four balls after Niroshan Dickwella started with a four.
In the last ten overs, the visitors have scored 53 runs. Clearly ominous signs!
Meanwhile, Chandimal and Dickwella have added more than fifty runs for the fifth wicket stand.
Yes, they have taken the lead.
Over 47 | Score 168/4 (Dinesh Chandimal 15; Niroshan Dickwella 15)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar completes his leftover spell from yesterday with two deliveries for Niroshan Dickwella for no run. Then, Mohammed Shami concedes three singles.
Sri Lanka still trail India by four runs.
David Boon rings the bell to start the commencement of Day 4's play at Eden Gardens. He is the match referee. But fans remember him for his distinctive moustache, and also for his very dominating presence. By the way, he was one of the stars of 1987 World Cup in India. He scored a brilliant 75 in the Eden Gardens final, winning the man of the man award.
But again, if Indian bowlers manage to get Lanka out quickly today, the world's top-ranked Test side will go for a kill. Virat Kohli will push it. We will get a day of cricket.
Yesterday, after the day's play, former Lanka captain and all-rounder Angelo Mathews praised Indian bowlers as "world class" but said, it's all about scoring runs. And they now trail India by only seven runs. How many runs will they score today? Big or small, it will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the match.
Players are already warming up. Another 18 minutes to the start of day's play at Eden Gardens. Luckily, no signs of rain. It's sunny bright day.
Day 3 Recap
Lahiru Thirimanne (51) and Angelo Mathews (52) struck half-centuries after Sri Lanka bowled out India for a paltry total of 172 as the visitors closed in on a first-innings lead.
When the bad light forced early stumps on the third day, Sri Lanka were 165 for four, trailing by seven runs, with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (13) and Niroshan Dickwella (14) at the crease.
Thirimanne and Mathews added 99 runs for the third wicket to negate the twin blows from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who removed both the Sri Lankan openers -- Sadeera Samarawickrama (23) and Dimuth Karunaratne (8).
Interestingly, both Thirimanne and Mathews both faced 94 balls each in their innings and struck eight boundaries each, and were dismissed by Umesh Yadav.
Earlier in the day, coming out to bat at an overnight score of 47, Cheteshwar Pujara (52 off 117) completed his half-century in the morning but could not make it big after being cleaned up by Lahiru Gamage (2/59) with a superb in-cutter.
Wriddhiman Saha (29) and Ravindra Jadeja (22) produced a brisk 48-run seventh wicket partnership but off-spinner Dilruwan Perera (2/19) struck twice in space of three ball to remove both.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (13) and Mohammed Shami (22) made some quick runs. Shami was later involved in a 26-run last wicket partnership with Umesh Yadav (6 not out) to prop up India's total.
