COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara made 18 in his final test innings as India dominated fourth day’s play in the second test yesterday to stand eight wickets away from a series-levelling victory.
For the fourth successive innings in the series, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the 37-year-old left-hander to send groans across the P Sara Oval.
Sangakkara walked out to a guard-of-honour by the Indians and the umpires and nearly ran himself out soon after a mix-up with opener Dimuth Karunaratne.
The southpaw unleashed the trademark flick and straight drive but could not convert the start, edging Ashwin to gully.
India rode Ajinkya Rahane’s 126 to reach 325-8 before declaring to set Sri Lanka, who lead the three-test series 1-0, a difficult 413-run victory target.
Ashwin dismissed Kaushal Silva and Sangakkara to peg back Sri Lanka who were 72-2 at close, still 341 runs behind the target.
Skipper Angelo Mathews (23) and Karunaratne (25) will return to continue Sri Lanka’s resistance on the final day of the test on Monday.
Earlier, having taken an 87-run first innings lead, India resumed on 70-1 and scored freely.
Rahane was characteristically composed while Murali Vijay (82) displayed aggression by hitting both paceman Dushmantha Chameera and off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal (4-118) for six.
Kaushal had the last laugh as he ended the 140-run stand trapping Vijay leg before after the batsman went for a sweep shot and missed the line.
The 22-year-old off-spinner dealt another blow when he accounted for rival captain Virat Kohli who also fell leg before.
Rahane showed the temperament that prompted his promotion to number three in the batting order but was not afraid to attempt an occasional cheeky shot, like the reverse-sweep for four off Kaushal that brought up his 50.
He added 85 runs with Rohit Sharma (34) to consolidate India’s position and took 212 balls to complete his century before Kaushal dismissed both.
India scored at a healthy four-an-over run rate in the second session.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings 393 (L. Rahul 108, R. Sharma 79, V. Kohli 78, W. Saha 56; R. Herath 4-81)
Sri Lanka 1st innings 306 (A. Mathews 102, L. Thirimanne 62, K. Silva 51; A. Mishra 4-43) India 2nd innings (Overnight: 70-1) M. Vijay lbw b Kaushal 82
L. Rahul b Prasad 2
A. Rahane c Chandimal b Kaushal 126
V. Kohli lbw b Kaushal 10
Ro. Sharma c Mubarak b Kaushal 34
S. Binny c Thirimanne b Prasad 17
W. Saha not out 13
R. Ashwin c Chandimal b Prasad 19
A. Mishra c Mubarak b Prasad 10
U. Yadav not out 4
Extras (lb-4 nb-1 w-3) 8
Total (for 8 wickets declared, 91 overs) 325
Fall of wickets: 1-3 L. Rahul,2-143 M. Vijay,3-171 V. Kohli,4-256 Ro. Sharma,5-262 A. Rahane,6-283 S. Binny,7-311 R. Ashwin,8-318 A. Mishra
Did not bat: I. Sharma
Bowling D. Prasad 15 – 0 – 43 – 4(nb-1) R. Herath 29 – 4 – 96 – 0 D. Chameera 14 – 0 – 63 – 0(w-3) A. Mathews 2 – 1 – 1 – 0 T. Kaushal 31 – 1 – 118 – 4 Sri
Lanka 2nd innings (Target: 413 runs)
K. Silva c Binny b Ashwin 1
D. Karunaratne not out 25
K. Sangakkara c Vijay b Ashwin 18
A. Mathews not out 23
Extras (lb-4 nb-1) 5
Total (for 2 wickets, 21 overs) 72
Fall of wickets: 1-8 K. Silva,2-33 K. Sangakkara
To bat: L. Thirimanne, J. Mubarak, D. Chandimal, D. Prasad, R. Herath, T. Kaushal, D. Chameera
Bowling R. Ashwin 10 – 5 – 27 – 2 U. Yadav 2 – 0 – 10 – 0 I. Sharma 4 – 0 – 18 – 0(nb-1) A. Mishra 5 – 1 – 13 – 0
Referees Umpire: Bruce Oxenford
Umpire: Rod Tucker
TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge
Match referee: Andy Pycroft
