Rahul and Dhawan carry India into lead with ease

Tea: India 70 for 0 (Rahul 36*, Dhawan 33*) and 172 trail Sri Lanka 294 (Herath 67, Bhuvneshwar 4-88, Shami 4-100) by 52 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Rangana Herath‘s third Test fifty propped up Sri Lanka’s lead to 122 before the visitors were bowled out for 294 on the fourth afternoon at the Eden Gardens. Mohammed Shami, on his home ground, rattled through Sri Lanka’s middle order to finish with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar added two wickets on the fourth day to return 4 for 88. India’s openers – KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan – then capitalised on vastly improved batting conditions, both overhead and underfoot, to cut their deficit by more than half at tea.

Herath was particularly effective with cross-batted strokes on either side of the wicket. He would frequently perch on the back foot, and depending on the line, either cut through point or pull past midwicket. Considering deliveries on a good or short length were routinely beating him with a straight bat, it was a rewarding strategy. He had moved to 67, the highest score of the Test, before slicing a catch to deep backward point off Bhuvneshwar.

With Umesh Yadav also taking two wickets, this was the third time India’s seamers took all ten wickets in a Test innings at home, and the first since 1983-84.

Rahul and Dhawan then replied with aggression that has typified their recent Test run. Sunny overhead conditions and a surface that seems to have settled down helped drastically.

On most pitches, a slightly fuller-than-good length is ideal. But Lahiru Gamage bowled on either side of that, dishing out three half-volleys to Rahul in his first over, which were punched for three boundaries through mid-off. He compensated with a shorter length thereafter, erring in Dhawan’s wheelhouse, who cut and pulled gleefully.

There was no swing whatsoever for Sri Lanka’s quicks. They got a few deliveries to seam after pitching, although not treacherously. Sri Lanka generated just one half-chance as Rahul drilled a drive back to Gamage’s right, but the ball burst out off the wrist.

Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal began the fourth morning under sunny skies by counterattacking India’s seamers. But like Sadeera Samarawickrama found out on the third day, hitting through the line can be fraught with risk against the moving ball because it threatens both edges. Their approach worked for the first half hour, taking Sri Lanka to 200, a handy lead of 28.

Just when it seemed like Sri Lanka wrested control, India hit back. Sri Lanka’s middle order tried to make contact with the ball, as opposed to allowing themselves to be beaten by playing the line. It was a ploy to move the Test along,and on a seaming surface like this, it wasn’t a bad one.

Dickwella had punched, cut and pulled merrily, but was also beaten repeatedly. Shami got one to seam in from his around-the-wicket angle, then bounce and jag away – enough to find the outside edge, but not exaggerated movement to beat the edge.

Bhuvneshwar, in the next over, set up Dasun Shanaka with an outswinger well outside off. He started the next ball on a similar line, but it hooped back prodigiously to hit Shanaka, offering no shot with an intent to leave as many as he could, on the back pad. Only James Anderson is more adept at using this tactic with the swinging ball in Tests currently.

Five balls later, Chandimal was caught fishing outside his off stump against Shami. Again, the ball did just enough to find the outside edge. Suddenly, Sri Lanka had slipped to 201 for 7.

It got worse for Sri Lanka when Dilruwan Perera was given out lbw off a sharp inducker from Shami that beat his inside edge. Dilruwan, it appeared, accepted the decision and turned around to walk towards the dressing room, but asked for a review moments later. Replays showed the ball hit Dilruwan outside the line of off stump.

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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