Score Update: India 460/9 After 116 Overs at Day 2 Close
Players of note: KL Rahul 82, Devdutt Padikkal 167, Dhruv Jurel 51; Prabath Jayasuriya 4/109 vs. Sri Lanka.
On a rain-affected day in Galle, both India and Sri Lanka displayed some thrilling cricket on Sunday, August 16. The match was delayed by five hours due to consistent rain, but once the game began, both teams made the most of the limited playing time.
After finishing Day 1 at 288 runs, Sri Lanka’s bowlers adjusted their lengths and kept the Indian batters in check for much of the day. Nevertheless, two players stood firm—Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel—ensuring that India maintained a solid standing in the first Test.
Padikkal continued his strong performance from the first day, going on to score an impressive 167 runs. Jurel also contributed a quick 51 runs off 68 deliveries, helping India surpass 450 runs in their first innings.
Rain of varying intensity and a wet outfield delayed the start of the day’s play until 2:35 PM. The long break seemed to revitalize the Sri Lankan bowlers, who returned with improved accuracy compared to Day 1.
Rishabh Pant Misses Another Chance
Resuming from a strong position at 288 for 2, India faced setbacks as soon as play resumed. Rishabh Pant was the first major wicket to fall. Starting his innings at 27, Pant struggled against off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha. Showing impatience, he fell into a trap and was caught by Sonal Dinusha while attempting a big shot, leaving many of his fans frustrated as comparisons were drawn between him and Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, both known for their talent yet inconsistency.
Sri Lankan Spinners Strike Quickly
KL Rahul, who had retired hurt on Day 1 at 77, managed to add only four more runs before he was dismissed, caught at short leg off Nuwantha’s bowling. This gave Sri Lanka a brief hope as they took two crucial wickets for just 12 runs. However, Padikkal remained unfazed, reaching his maiden 150 by flicking a boundary off pacer Asitha Fernando.
Padikkal’s impressive innings ended in the 92nd over when he stepped out against Prabath Jayasuriya but was deceived by the spin. Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella made an easy catch, concluding Padikkal’s exceptional knock.
Sri Lanka was able to regain some control after taking quick wickets, dismissing Pant, Rahul, and Padikkal in a short span. India faced further trouble when Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed via umpire’s call, but Dhruv Jurel played aggressively, scoring a rapid half-century off 68 balls.
Jurel was a bit fortunate, as a mistimed shot while on 29 went to Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who dropped the catch. Jurel soon capitalized on this lapse, reaching his fifty before eventually being caught by de Silva off another delivery from Jayasuriya.
India looked to accelerate their scoring late in the day, promoting Mohammed Siraj up the batting order, but he was unable to make an impact. Despite losing Jurel and facing two more wickets, India held strong. By the end of Day 2, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna were at the crease, leaving India at 460 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
While Sri Lanka improved their bowling compared to the previous day, India’s solid efforts, particularly by Padikkal and Jurel, kept them in charge of the match despite the challenging conditions.
