2nd Test: Jurel’s unbeaten 95 takes India to 475/8 before rain stops play

Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 95 as India reached 475/8 against Sri Lanka before heavy rain halted play early in the second session of the second Test. Rishabh Pant scored 63, while Asitha Fernando claimed four wickets

Colombo: Dhruv Jurel produced a flawless display of risk-free batting to reach 95 not out before heavy rain brought an early end to the second session on day two’s play against Sri Lanka at the SSC Ground on Monday.

By the time early tea was taken, India reached 475/8 in 131.2 overs. High winds and darkening skies forced the umpires to halt play, leading to an early tea break. Rain intensified shortly after, prompting the groundstaff to bring the entire playing area under heavy covers.

---

Jurel remains five runs shy of a well-deserved second Test century – his first ton in Sri Lanka, while Mohammed Siraj is yet to open his account after facing 17 deliveries. After lunch break, Sri Lanka struck on the very first ball when Rishabh Pant hit Keshara Nuwantha straight to long-off. Though Pant fell for an entertaining 63 off 89 balls and the 112-run stand off 152 balls came to a halt, Jurel quickly seized control of the innings alongside Manav Suthar.

Suthar proved to be an able partner as the surface began to offer noticeable assistance to the spinners. He handled the home side’s short-ball tactics with composure, and even stepped down the pitch to loft Nuwantha over the mid-off boundary. The pair added 39 runs and took India past the 450-run mark before Prabath Jayasuriya finally broke through after a 35-over toil.

Jayasuriya drew Suthar into pushing outside off-stump and extracted a thin edge that was caught behind by Niroshan Dickwella to send him back for 18. With Mohammed Siraj content to defend at the other end, Jurel smartly farmed the strike while continuing to score at a steady rhythm.

The wicketkeeper-batter exhibited excellent footwork against the turning ball, including deploying a fine reverse sweep off Sonal Dinusha to move into the 80s. As dark clouds gathered ominously over the ground, Sri Lanka brought back pacer Asitha Fernando, who was searching for his fifth wicket.

But Jurel countered him by flicking a juicy full toss on his pads through mid-wicket for a boundary, taking his tally to 95 off 155 balls and pushing the Indian total towards 500 before rain arrived to halt the visitors march.

Brief Scores: India 475/8 in 131.2 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Dhruv Jurel 95 not out; Asitha Fernando 4-78, Keshara Nuwantha 2-154) against Sri Lanka