Jasprit Bumrah came into the day-night Test against Sri Lanka with only six of his 115 previous wickets having come on home soil. In a matter of two evenings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the strapping quick with the unique action doubled that number to put India within touching distance of a thumping victory.
447 needed to win
Having been set 447 for the most unlikely of victories, Sri Lanka stuttered to 28-1 at stumps the second day of the second Test, their hopes hanging by no more than the slenderest of threads.
Even though nearly as many wickets (14) fell as on day one (16), this wasn’t one-way traffic. Either side of Sri Lanka’s batting travails, India’s top and middle-order acquitted itself with credit through skipper Rohit Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Shreyas Iyer and the irrepressible Rishabh Pant, who brought up a 28-ball half-century, the quickest by an Indian in a home Test.
Their efforts, combined with Sri Lanka’s lack of ambition and penetration, seemed to indicate the spiteful surface that had greeted the teams the previous day had eased up. It was just that India showed intent without premeditation, they were attack-minded without being desperate, armed with the luxury of a 143-run lead that Bumrah’s maiden five-wicket haul first thing on Sunday had presented them with.
Sri Lanka had started the day on 86 for six, 166 behind India’s tally of 252. Bumrah and R Ashwin needed just 27 minutes and 29 deliveries to seal the deal, sending the visitors packing for 109. Bumrah, hostile and unrelenting, used the short ball liberally, hoping to sew gremlins in the minds of batsmen who had witnessed from close quarters the vagaries of a track where the bounce was anything but even, and reaping handsome rewards.
India built patiently, handsomely and efficiently on their significant advantage, with Vihari and Iyer reiterating the value of loads of domestic first-class cricket that helped them negotiate the turning ball with tremendous assurance. Pant was, well, Pant—enterprising, entertaining and effervescent. Sri Lanka surrendered themselves willingly to his unalloyed ball-bashing, mute spectators even as a large holiday crowd enjoyed itself thoroughly.
SL lose early wicket
By the time Rohit decided he had enough to play with, Sri Lanka were dispirited and deflated, and their mood wasn’t helped any when Bumrah trapped Lahiru Thirimanne in front with a peach in the very first over. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and the feisty Kusal Mendis survived through to the close, aware a mountain stares them in the face as they attempt to reclaim pride, at the very least.
Brief scores
India 252 & 303-9d (S Iyer 67, R Pant 50; P Jayawickrama 4-78, L Embuldeniya 3-87) v SL 109 & 28-1
