A good day of cricket―a game that swung both ways is what the sparse crowd got on the third day of the first Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens. As overcast skies gave way to sunshine, the wicket no longer looked like a minefield and the Lankan batting took advantage of the same, responding positively to India's sub 200 first innings score.
Scoring at almost 4 runs per over, the visitors were 165-4, just seven runs short of overhauling India's first innings total of 172 with Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal batting on 13 along with wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella on 14 when bad light forced umpires to call stumps at 4.04 pm.
The Indian pace bowling department, considered one of the finest in the world presently, made it particularly tough for the Lankan top order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, getting the ball to swing both ways, bagged the wickets of both the Lankan openers―Sadeera Samarawickrama (23), caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha, and Dimuth Karunaratne (8) leg before.
But the third wicket pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews gave a frustrating time to the hosts. Each notched up a half century. The sun was out in full glory, and the wicket had eased. The Lankan duo missed a few and then made most of erring lengths by the Indian seamers. They scored 99 runs for the third wicket in 178 balls, with the former skipper Mathews returning to the side after being laid off for one entire season due to multiple injuries, and held the innings together well till tea.
It was in the post-tea session that the Indian bowlers came back to make things difficult for the visitors. The lines and lengths both were impeccable. Mohammed Shami was unplayable as he generated both pace and movement, but extremely unlucky to see the edges falling between slips.
However, the pressure created by Shami resulted in Thiramanne finally getting caught in the second slip by Virat Kohli off Umesh Yadav for 51. Mathews fell soon after to Yadav in a tame manner, getting caught at short cover by K.L. Rahul at 52. Shami's second spell read as 5 overs, 3 maidens 10 runs but no wickets while Yadav's second spell of 7 overs 1 maiden 25 runs and 2 wickets made them the unplayable bowlers that they were in the last session of the day.
Shami later left the ground with a slight limp, but the team management later described it as a minor injury.
Earlier, the Indian lower order made most of easing conditions to come up with small, but useful cameos to take India's first Innings total to a fighting 172 in the rain-curtailed match. Medium pacer Suranga Lakmal who has been the pick of the bowlers ended with his second best bowling performance in an innings, taking four wickets in 19 overs for 26 runs.
The third day's play started on the scheduled time, with conditions still overcast. Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha started watchfully. Pujara scored a four―his tenth of the innings―off a Rangana Herath delivery to reach his 16th Test half century. However, just as the sun decided to come out, Lahiru Gamage breached his defence with an incoming delivery to bowl him out at 52. Pujara , whose half century was key to India setting a competitive target would rue the missed opportunity of scoring in easier conditions that prevailed thereafter.
However, Pujara's dismissal did not deter the lower order with Saha (29), Ravindra Jadeja (22) and Mohammed Shami (24) ensured India reached 100 and then past the 150 mark slowly yet steadily. Jadeja even hit off-spinner Dilruwan Perera for a straight six over long when the spinners were brought into action by skipper Dinesh Chandimal in an effort to break the budding seventh wicket partnership, which yielded 48 runs and ended with Jadeja getting bowled leg before the wicket by Perera.
