Innings: India 172 and 352 for 8 dec. (Kohli 104*, Dhawan 94, Rahul 79, Shanaka 3-76, Lakmal 3-93) lead Sri Lanka 294 by 230 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Virat Kohli’s 50th international century set up a fascinating conclusion to the Kolkata Test, helping India declare at 352 for 8, setting Sri Lanka 231 to win at Eden Gardens. The tables turned dramatically on Sri Lanka, who were in control of the game for most of the day after Suranga Lakmal generated bounce and sharp lateral movement both ways to dismiss three top-order batsmen in the morning.
Prior to lunch, it was a battle of attrition for Kohli. He survived a close call when he gloved a short delivery past the wicketkeeper to get off a pair, but left well thereafter. When Sri Lanka erred too full, he drove through the line, accumulating more than half of his runs – 22 of 41 – in the arc between cover and mid-on.
India lost R Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha to tame strokes, but Kohli remained watchful. But something changed when Sri Lanka took the new ball. A half-lunge meant to allow himself to play close to the body gave way to a confident, long stride to meet the ball as early as possible. Sri Lanka’s seamers were looking for wickets, and rightly bowling full, but with hardly any swing, Kohli drove and flicked merrily, particularly through cover and midwicket.
Kohli was given out lbw off the bowling of Lakmal when he missed a routine flick. He reviewed immediately, and replays showed a thin inside edge. Back came the swagger: a jig with the 12th man, cheerful smiles with Bhuvneshwar and more importantly, the full range of attacking strokes.
The bottom-handed power that has dominated Kohli’s limited-overs batting was used productively. A drag-flick through midwicket off a ball well outside off, and two lofted sixes over cover stamped his aplomb on the game. The second six brought him his 18th Test century, followed by a vociferous celebration and India’s declaration.
Sri Lanka, though, dominated the majority of the final day. Their seamers didn’t produce many threatening deliveries on the fourth afternoon, when Lakmal was off the field for close to half an hour. He came charging in on Monday and was the only bowler to hit a high 130 kmph range and produce enough seam movement. First, he set KL Rahul up with a set of deliveries hung outside off. Rahul too was patient, waiting for Lakmal to overpitch. Then came the big, booming inducker, attacking the pads and stumps. Rahul’s balance was thrown off by the change in line as he fell over a flick, and the ball found a considerable gap between bat and pad.
He produced the ball of the morning to have Cheteshwar Pujara, who became the ninth player to bat on all five days of a Test, caught at gully. A back of a length delivery kicked up off the pitch a lot higher than Pujara expected and it lobbed over to Dilruwan Perera at gully, who took a sharp, low catch. Four balls later, Lakmal had another good-length delivery hooping back in to beat Ajinkya Rahane’s inside edge and trap him lbw for 0. With the ball moving both ways, Sri Lanka had an opening.
Jadeja, promoted to No. 6 possibly to counter Rangana Herath, didn’t find any rhythm or fluency in his 41-ball nine. He edged Dilruwan to first slip off an attempted cut on the stroke of lunch.
Dasun Shanaka went through Ashwin’s inside edge with a full delivery that found a massive gap between bat and pad. When Saha chipped a catch to cover, Sri Lanka believed they had a fair chance on their own terms.
Nikhil Kalro is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo