KOLKATA TEST

Lanka bowlers take the honours in first session on day 5

ind-sl-lakmal-salil-bera Suranga Lakmal picked the key wickets of K.L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane | Salil Bera

The first hour of India's second innings didn't exactly go their way. The underrated Sri Lankla bowlers took four wickets, their disciplined bowling restraining India from scoring as freely as they did on the previous day. India led by 129 runs in their second innings having lost 5 wickets. Skipper Virat Kohli is at 41* along with Ravichandran Ashwin who is yet to open his account.

Not one cloud hovered over Eden Gardens on the last day of the Kolkata Test. The batsmen would have relished the idea of continuing from where they left off on day four. But the wicket displayed good bounce and carry―this played a part in the Indian dismissals till lunch.

Medium pacer Suranga Lakmal did most of the damage―he picked the key wickets of K.L. Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Rahul was the first Indian wicket to fall on Monday morning at 79, the ball coming back in sharply to dislodge the middle stump. But it was Lakmal's double strike thereafter that shook the hosts.

Cheteshwar Pujara was caught by Dilruwan Perera at gully off a short ball that ballooned up on the batsman for 22. Four balls later Rahane got dismissed for a duck, stuck at the crease with Lakmal's delivery striking him on his front leg. Rahane reviewed the decision, but the ultra edge found the ball clipping the top of leg stump.

Pujara created a record of sorts, by becoming the third Indian batsman, after M.L. Jaisimha and Ravi Shastri, to play on all five days of a Test match. Pujara faced 43, 59, 15, 9 and 42 balls each day respectively of the match.

Ravindra Jadeja was sent in ahead of Ashwin and Wriddhiman Saha and he was the last wicket to fall before lunch scoring 9 off 41 balls. Off-spinner Perera bowled a slightly short-of-length delivery pitched on off-stump but Jadeja was done in by the bounce, edging to Lahiru Thirimanne at slip. 

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