Sri Lanka vs India 2nd Test: Match evenly poised at end of Day 2

Indian team gives a guard of honour to Kumar Sangakkara as he comes out to bat on Day 2

Sri Lanka have finished Day 2 on 140/3, trailing India by 253 runs at close of play. Lahiru Thirimanne(28*) and Angelo Mathews(19*) will resume the chase in the ongoing 2nd Test tomorrow morning.

India added 74 runs to their overnight score of 319/6, mainly due to a gritty partnership between Wriddhiman Saha(56) and Amit Mishra(24). Saha survived several close calls before finally settling in to reach his 2nd Test half-century. Rangana Herath picked up the remaining two wickets with just 7 runs added to the lunch score, India being bowled out for 393.

Indian pacers Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma started their spells breathing fire – Umesh trapping Dimuth Karunaratne(1) with an inswinging delivery with his very first ball. Kumar Sangakkara walked out to a guard of honour from the Indian team.

Indian captain Virat Kohli was seen frantically setting his field to arrange a perfect tribute for the outgoing legend, seemingly forgetting the fact that his team had just taken a wicket. Every one of his players, for one touching moment, needed to be at the perfect position for Sanga’s sake.

Stuart Binny was introduced into the attack soon after, who seemed to have a perfect start when he got an edge off Kaushal Silva to travel to the keeper. However, TV replays showed that Binny had overstepped and the wicket was overruled.

Co-incidentally, in the Ashes Test ongoing at the Oval, Australia’s Steve Smith was given a reprieve on 92 after giving an edge to Steven Finn, who replays showed to have overstepped.

Sangakkara stuck around till after tea, scoring 32 runs, all of them cheered hoarsely by the Colombo crowd. Sangakkara, like both occasions in the Galle Test, was dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin, caught by Ajinkya Rahane. There remains one last time when Sangakkara will walk out to bat for Sri Lanka.

This was Rahane’s 9th catch of the series. The record of most catches in a series in history is held by Australian Jack Gregory, who claimed 15 catches in 5 Tests in a 1920/21 series.

Lahiru Thirimanne joined Kaushal Silva to steady the innings, but a probing spell from Amit Mishra yielded the wicket of Silva for 51, the opener having reached his 9th Test half century. Sri Lanka will look to get beyond India’s score on Day 3, with 1st Test hero Dinesh Chandimal still waiting in the pavilion.

An Ishant Sharma in the making! #wicketofanoball

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 21, 2015

Steven Finn has done a Stuart Binny at the Oval today! Finn on 99 Test wkts Binny on 0 Test wkts #Ashes #IndvSL

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 21, 2015