No fewer than 16 wickets were conceded on the first day of the Pink Ball Test between India and Sri Lanka as Bengaluru’s M.Chinnaswamy Stadium proved to be a bowler’s paradise. India’s pace duo Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami struck out together to rock Sri Lanka after the hosts were knocked out by 252 points in their first inning on Saturday.
India vs. Sri Lanka, Pink Ball Test Day 1: Highlights
Sri Lanka reached Stumps on day one with 86/6, 166 runs behind the Rohit Sharma-led side with Lasith Embuldeniya and Niroshan Dickwella in the middle. Angelo Mathews was the only Sri Lankan batsman to look confident during his stay in the crease. Mathews fell for 43 when Bumrah accounted for his wicket with a soft dismissal.
Bumrah fired comeback man Kusal Mendis in his second over and then got Lahiru Thirimanne in his next. Shami, on the other hand, scalped the precious wicket of Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne on his very first ball of the game.
Shami had to rely on an excellent DRS to take his second wicket when Dhananjaya de Silva was forced to leave for 10. Charith Asalanka was the next batsman to leave when Axar Patel took his wicket and Sri Lanka lost half of their batting order within the first 19 over.
Iyer raises India: Earlier, Shreyas Iyer produced a 92 counterattack to help India reach a competitive 252 total in the first innings against Sri Lanka on a pitch that offered spinners spins and variable jumping.
India’s opening games came cheap in the first session, with Mayank Agarwal eliminated in the second over before Rohit Sharma was sacked by Lasith Embuldeniya (3/94). Rohit was playing in his 400th cap and his wicket ironically drew cheers from the Bengaluru crowd as it put Virat Kohli – the former captain and star of their Indian Premier League franchise – in the crease.
Kohli and Hanuma Vihari sewed a 47-run stance to steady India’s innings before left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama (3/81) broke the third wicket partnership. Jayawickrama dismissed Vihari with a rising delivery who turned and nodded his bat and he was caught for a patient 31 by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.
Sri Lanka brought on De Silva and he scored in his first over to catch Kohli (23) foot in front with a throw that stayed surprisingly low and silenced the home crowd when the referee raised his finger.
Shreyas Iyer falls after a brilliant 92 as India bets on 252.#WTC23 | #INDvSL | https://t.co/z8k3qDsu6u pic.twitter.com/W3WqFRtt30
— ICC (@ICC) March 12, 2022
Dropped by Suranga Lakmal early in his innings, Rishabh Pant fired for a quick 39 with seven boundaries before Embuldeniya struck again with a ball that spun and smashed into the stumps. Ravindra Jadeja was the next batter to leave when he was caught off guard by a rising delivery from Embuldeniya and caught in the slips.
Iyer made the hitting look easy, playing an entertaining 92-run knock that had 98 111 balls and 10 fours and four sixes. Iyer’s blazing punch negated all the good work done by the visiting bowlers in the first session when they took four wickets. However, he missed his second Test hundred when he was stunned by Praveen Jayawickrama (3/81), who was aiming for a big throw.
