Sri Lanka wobble, India take charge in Delhi

New Delhi (Reuters): India set Sri Lanka a daunting 410-run victory target and dented the tourists’ top order to maintain their iron grip on the third and final test on Tuesday.

Having secured a handy 163-run first-innings lead, India declared on 246 for five about 45 minutes after tea and Sri Lanka were reeling on 31 for three when bad light stopped play with the tourists still needing 379 runs to level the series.

Dhananjaya de Silva was batting on 13 with first-innings centurion Angelo Mathews yet to open his account at the other end.

Mohammad Shami dismissed opener Sadeera Samarawickrama for five with a vicious bouncer before Ravindra Jadeja struck twice in the same over, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind for 13 and bowling nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal for a duck.

Earlier, Dinesh Chandimal made a career-best 164 to help Sri Lanka post 373 all out, their highest total in the series.

Lakmal denied India a strong start to their second innings, dismissing Murali Vijay for nine.

The paceman was subsequently seen vomiting and temporarily left the field as the Delhi smog continued to affect the match. 

Ajinkya Rahane has been the lone batsman in India’s top six without a fifty in the series and was sent in ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara in a bid to help him rediscover his form ahead of the tour of South Africa.

The move, however, did not work.

The right-hander survived two reviews and scored only 10 runs before trying to hit his way out of trouble and holing out in the deep off Dilruwan Perera.

Shikhar Dhawan initially looked subdued but the left-hander soon accelerated, stepping out to hit Lakshan Sandakan over his head for a huge six.

The left-arm wrist-spinner had the last laugh, though, as he lured Dhawan into charging out to play a similar shot only to be stumped for 67.

Pujara (49) fell short of his fifty but Virat Kohli (50) and Rohit Sharma (50 not out) batted with characteristic ease against the jaded Sri Lankans to keep India in complete control of the match.

“We are in a good position now. They are three wickets down, so they would be under lot of pressure tomorrow,” Dhawan told reporters.

The opener praised pace duo Shami and Ishant Sharma for troubling the Sri Lankan batsmen despite lack of help from the pitch.

“They gave everything. They bowled really good pace, I could feel it from slip. It speaks volumes about their mindset, because there was little for them in this flat track.”

Sri Lanka set to play Test at Kensington Oval for first time in June 2018

ESPNcricinfo: Sri Lanka will play a Test at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados for the first time during their three-match tour of West Indies in May-June 2018. Barbados will host the second Test of the series, from June 14-18, according to the fixtures announced by Cricket West Indies on Monday. The Test series will begin with the first match at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, from June 6, while the third Test is scheduled to be held at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia from June 23. Sri Lanka are also scheduled to play a three-day tour match, between May 30 and June 1 at the Brian Lara Cricket Ground in Trinidad. The tour, which had been put down in the Future Tours Programme, will be Sri Lanka’s first Test tour of the West Indies in ten years. The last time both sides played a Test series in the Caribbean – in March 2008 - the series ended in a 1-1 deadlock, but was memorable for the visitors who won in the West Indies for the first time. Since then, Sri Lanka have travelled to the West Indies for limited-overs fixtures – the World T20 in 2010 and a tri-series featuring the two sides and India in 2013. Overall, this will be the fourth Test series between the two sides in the West Indies.

The most recent Test series between the two sides took place in Sri Lanka, in October 2015, where the hosts thrashed West Indies 2-0 to claim the Sobers-Tissera Trophy.

Sri Lanka’s schedule in the West Indies

Tour match: May 30 – June 1, Brian Lara Cricket Ground, Trinidad

First Test: June 6-10, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

Second Test: June 14-18, Kensington Oval, Barbados

Third Test: June 23-27, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia