Gill and Padikkal steady India after early blows in second Test against Sri Lanka

Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal scored half-centuries to put India in a strong position against Sri Lanka in the second Test. India reached 187/3 at tea on day one after Gill and Padikkal added 120 runs for the third wicket

Colombo: Captain Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal hit contrasting half-centuries to put India in command before Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando struck late by dismissing the former to leave the second Test delicately poised at tea on day one’s play at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground on Sunday.

At tea break, India reached 187/3 in 52 overs, and dominated the second session until Gill’s dismissal for 50 broke a flourishing 120-run partnership off 209 balls for the third wicket. Padikkal remained unbeaten on 63 alongside Rishabh Pant, who’s yet to get off the mark and survived a loud lbw appeal off the final ball before the tea break arrived.

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Resuming after lunch on a pitch offering assistance to the bowlers, Gill and Padikkal built steadily against an increasingly frustrated Sri Lankan attack. Padikkal, who was dropped on zero and survived an early short-pitched bowling test, settled down and brought out the drive, pull and cuts to reach his fifty off 90 balls by crunching a boundary through the covers off Prabath Jayasuriya.

The pair brought up their century stand off 168 deliveries as Sri Lanka resorted to negative tactics, with spinners Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha firing deliveries down the leg stump to test the batters patience. It meant multiple wides were called to force the spinners back onto a competitive line.

Gill, who managed just 16 and eight in the series opener in Galle, was fluent in his front-foot play to reach his ninth Test half-century and first in Sri Lanka off 99 balls by flicking through fine leg for a single. Just as India looked set to complete a wicketless session in the Colombo heat, Fernando produced a breakthrough against the run of play.

Pitching one on back on a length and wide of off stump, Fernando induced a loose slash from Gill, and had him edging behind to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, who clung on to the catch on the second attempt.

Fernando almost got his second wicket when he struck Pant low on the pad with a full, inswinging delivery. But the umpire turned down the vociferous appeal, with replays suggesting the angle would have carried the ball past leg stump. With Padikkal looking solid in his knock laced with seven boundaries and Pant expected to come good, India will aim to solidify their strong position in the match.

Brief Scores: India 187/3 in 52 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 63 not out, Shubman Gill 50; Asitha Fernando 2-34, Lahiru Kumara 1-33) against Sri Lanka