Sri Lanka 47 for 2 (Karunaratne 21*, Mathews 1*) v India
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04:48
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If India are using this series as tour games for the Tests in South Africa, Chetehswar Pujara might have provided them something to think about with an excellent catch at first slip. Pujara continued to be in the thick of the action with a direct hit from mid-on, which didn’t result in a run-out, and a further dropped catch at mid-on in an otherwise sedate first session of the second Test.
Since he dropped Alastair Cook in Kolkata in 201-13 – Cook went on to score 190 from 17 when he was let off – Pujara has only rarely stood at slip for India. That alone most definitely will not be the reason for his banishment from slips, but Pujara has continued to field at slip for Saurashtra. Now fielding at first slip in Shikhar Dhawan’s absence, Pujara pulled off a low catch to his left, almost diving forward, to send back opener Sadeera Samarawickrama to make it 20 for 1 in the fifth over.
This was a significant catch for two reasons. India usually have about a 50% success rate at slips for quick bowlers, and given this was a tough catch, it was an odds-on favourite to go down. And slip catches for quicks will be crucial in a month’s time in South Africa. Given he stays fit enough, Pujara could be an option India need to seriously think about.
In the context of this catch, too, it was an important Test. In attempting to create a hard bouncy surface to simulate South African conditions, Nagpur had rolled out a pretty friendly surface. There wasn’t disconcerting sideways movement in it, and it wasn’t the usual spin-friendly track we have become accustomed to seeing in India this decade. Sri Lanka had won the toss, and they had got off to a comfortable start. Samarawickrama, though, played an ill-advised drive on the up to give Ishant Sharma a wicket in the third over of his Test comeback.
That wicket taken, India turned the screws with tight lines and lengths. Circumspect batsmen played into their hands. Hardly any runs came since the wicket, there were long barren spells, even singles involved risking a run-out, and eventually a big risk was taken seven minutes before lunch to give an Indian spinner a wicket for the first time in this series. R Ashwin was the man who struck in the 25th over with Lahiru Thirimanne played a big sweep after scoring just nine runs off 57 balls, and that in the best batting conditions of the match.
Like the buses, one nearly brought two as Ravindra Jadeja had Dimuth Karunanaratne stumped in his first over, but it turned out he had overstepped. That capped off a session sprinkled with good fortune for Karunaratane. He was on 14 when a 26-ball spell of no runs produced a risky single where he just about beat Pujara’s direct hit. Pressure not yet released, Karunaratne looked to go over mid-on a couple of overs later, but this time the overhead chance burst out of Pujara’s hands. He was done in comprehensively by Jadeja a couple of overs before lunch, but Sri Lanka still managed to go back to lunch with one opener intact.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo