India vs Sri Lanka: Hosts turn the screw to assume total control

Beyond a point, it seemed depressingly pointless. As if India’s only motivation to bat on was prolonging Sri Lanka’s agony. It was still the second day of the Test and India could have batted on for at least a couple more days had they wanted to, but were so far ahead in the match that batting on seemed meaningless in the context of the result.
the time India’s lead had crossed 350, at the stroke of the dinner break, propelled Rishabh Pant’s 50, the visitors were already dead horses being flogged. Half an hour into the session, India lost Shreyas Iyer for 67, lest they could say they were waiting for his hundred. But a declaration did not arrive, until the ninth wicket fell, with the score on 303/9, the lead now swelled to 446 runs. Barring a miracle on the Eden Gardens 2001-scale, the hosts had sewn the match long ago.
Exaggerating the pointlessness, Jasprit Bumrah struck in the first over, swerving a ball into the pads of Lahiru Thirimanne, who was beaten both pace and movement. Bumrah would continue to harass the Lankans, moving the ball both ways, making it leap off the surface, making them grope and stab uncertainly at the ball. Even the resolute Dimuth Karunaratne was dopey when facing him, and beaten twice, once a nip-backer that kept low and just evaded the off-stump and then an away-goer that missed his prodding bat a threadbare margin. Kusal Mendis too suffered — numerous times he was hurried into the shot, the odd ball would nibble away, searing past his outside edge.

STUMPS on Day 2 of the 2nd Test.
Sri Lanka are 109 & 28/1 in response to #TeamIndia‘s 252 & 303/9d.
Scorecard – https://t.co/t74OLq7xoO #INDvSL @Paytm pic.twitter.com/yYyBHLj5MC
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 13, 2022
A brutish short-of-length ball burst into the top half of his bat, only for the edge to evade the fielder. From the other end, Mohammed Shami pounded in and sustained the intensity, coming perilously close to trimming the off-stump or kissing the outside edge of the bat a few times. How Sri Lanka managed to limit the damage to just one wicket, for 28 runs, is a mystery in itself.

An irony it was that India’s deadliest bowlers on a turner were the two fast bowlers. Of the 11 Sri Lanka wickets to fall on both days, they devoured eight (six for Bumrah and two for Shami, at an average of eight). In the morning session, Bumrah grabbed his maiden five-for on home soil, in his fourth Test, and masked the fraction of pace and bite the surface seemed to have lost. The pitch seemed to have exorcised the capriciousness of the first day, but just a minuscule margin. Only a few balls misbehaved, fewer still kept low, or spat across the face of the bat. Barring the wicket of Virat Kohli, none was consumed an unplayable one. Semi-makes, semi-boredom perhaps.

That’s a FIVE-wkt haul for @Jaspritbumrah93 👏👏
This is his 8th in Test cricket.
Live – https://t.co/t74OLq6Zzg #INDvSL @Paytm pic.twitter.com/sNboEF4Gm8
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 13, 2022
No discipline
Perhaps it was a mirage conjured the flaccidness of Sri Lanka’s bowling. They were abject and loose. unable to pile on any pressure on Indian batsmen. They fed at least two gift-wrapped balls an over, mostly half-trackers. And when Pant brought on the afterburners, they froze, before surrendering. Sloppy fielding did not help, as did defensive field placements.
The pitch, though, was not as benign as it appeared. Kohli got another grubber; plenty of deliveries kicked up from good length. Only that Sri Lanka barely strung together two successive balls on the same spot. There was neither a plan nor purpose, as if they knew that the match was already beyond their grasp. There was neither precision nor incision.

Rishabh Pant’s 50 off 31 balls today. #INDvsSL pic.twitter.com/7GZvm50r3Y
— One Handed Six Academy (@1handed_6) March 13, 2022
Later, Hanuma Vihari admitted as much to the host broadcasters. “It was quite challenging. A kind of wicket where any ball could get you out,” he said. The ball that eventually devoured him was not unplayable, he just missed a sweep and was bowled for a composed 35 off 79 balls. Vihari rued missing out on a big score, so would have Shreyas Iyer who looked sumptuous until he played down the wrong line, but has now nailed his spot in the side.

The only saving grace was that the surface has not deteriorated, or cracked up. But batting is still a difficult chore. “It will be challenging for Sri Lanka tomorrow as well,” Vihari chimed in. But even if the pitch were to transform into a batting beauty, they still have to negotiate Bumrah and Shami in the afternoon. And if they manage to survive them, awaits the trio of spinners, licking their lips for a more central role in another hapless demolition job.