India outclassed Sri Lanka in every department of the game to beat them by 304 runs on Day 4 of the first Test at Galle. Sheer dominance from the No.1 Test team. Every plan seemed to work their way as their bowlers replicated the results on Day 4 and took 8 wickets before the third session so that the Test should not see the light of Day 5. On the other hand, Sri Lankan batsmen made the pitch look like it was a regular Galle pitch which it was clearly no, at least, not the way India batted.
Only Dimuth Karunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella could do well for the team and show them a glimmer of hope in a lost cause. Karunaratne scored 97, whereas Dicwella scored 67. Kusal Mendis and Dilruwan Perera looked promising at the start but could not carry on their innings and help Karunaratne who was running out of partners.
It was an all-round performance from Indian bowlers. Both the seamers picked one wicket each with the new ball. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja attacked the batsmen when the pitch started helping them a bit, extracting pace and bounce from it. They picked up 3 wickets each and helped India seal the deal on Day 4.
India win the first Test by 304 runs!
Rangana Herath and Asela Gunaratne are injured, Sri Lanka are all out for 245.
16:26 IST Pradeep on strike, Jadeja continues, an attacking field for him, surrounded by the fielders. He goes for the slog and the ball is hung up in the air. SL 245 all out in 76.5 overs
16:24 IST Ashwin continues, not letting Dilruwan have it at ease on the crease, constantly testing him with variations. A maiden over from him. SL 254/7 in 76 overs
16:22 IST It is just a matter of time before these two wickets fall. We hope it’s today only. Five runs from the over. IND 245/7 in 75 overs
16:18 IST Lahiru Kumar acomes to bat, he cautiously defends the first two ball he plays. SL 240/7 in 74 overs
16:17 IST Nuwan Pradeep comes to bat, he needs to have much patience, wait! Bat-pad edge and the ball carries to the attacking position fielder, leg slip. Turn and bounce does the trick, Pradeep has to go for a duck. SL 240/7 in 73.4 overs
16:11 IST Karunaratne b Ashwin 97(208) Karunaratne goes for the wild slog and he has to go, the ball goes pas the batsman and into the stumps, India get another wicket, 6 down 3 to go. SL 240/6 in 73.2 overs
16:03 IST Karunaratne and Dilruwan are looking to play out the overs until India hits the panic button. Two singles from the over. SL 239/5 in 71 overs
15:59 IST Ashwin continues, Karunaratne manages to take a single off the fourth ball. Two dot balls to Dilruwan. SL 237/5 in 70 overs
15:57 IST Just two singles from Jadeja’s over. This game is expected to go into the Day 5 now. SL 236/5 in 69 overs
15:54 IST Ashwin continues, Dilruwan on strike, he gets just a single off the first ball. Four dot balls to follow. Karunaratne is on 94 now. SL 234/5 in 68 overs
15:51 IST Indian bowlers are doing well now, they are trying to put more and more pressure on Dilruwan Perera, the new batsman. They are inviting him to play the big shots and lose the wickets in the process. 8 runs from the 3 overs. SL 233/5 in 67 overs
15:43 IST Ashwin continues, just a single off the over from Karunaratne. He is raring to get another wicket now. SL 225/5 in 64 overs
15:40 IST Jadeja continues, Karunaratne on strike, the first one hits his pads but outside the off stump. He takes a single off the second ball of the over. Perera gets off the mark, gets a couple of runs. FOUR! Dilruwan drives it towards boundary, that one was loopy on the offside. A dot ball to end the over. SL 224/5 in 63 overs
15:37 IST Ashwin to Dilruwan Perera, a dot ball to end the over. SL 217/5 in 62 overs
15:34 IST WICKET! Dickwella c Saha b Ashwin 67(94)
15:33 IST Ashwin to Karunaratne, Indian bowlers need to stop the flow of runs now. WICKET! Dickwella edges it, a wicket they were looking for. He has to go for 67, the Umpire took his time but gave him out. SL 217/5 in 61.5 overs
15:31 IST Umesh Yadav continues, Dickwella and Karunartner have started to look dangerous now. Two boundaries and a single of the over. SL 216/4 in 61 overs
15:26 IST Karunaratne on strike, Jadeja continues, a single off the first ball. Dickwella tries the reverse sweep, the ball takes a top edge off the bat, a couple of runs off that one. Jadeja is still searching for a wicket, trying to lure the batsman into a shot they do not want to play. Karunaratne plays the next one towards backward point, a couple of runs there for him. SL 206/4 in 60 overs
15:22 IST Yadav is into the attack, Dickwella on strike, he is playing the ball around looking for a single to reach his 50. He takes a couple of runs towards square of the wicket, Dickwella reaches 50! He drives the ball towards covers, FOUR! He plays that one on the up and finds the gap. Last ball is defended on the back foot. SL 200/4 in 59 overs
15:17 IST Jadeja continues, Karunaratne takes a single off the fourth ball of the over, he has done well so far and is batting on 86 from 170 balls. Dicwkwella comes down the track and pushes the ball for a single towards long on. He plays the next one on the front foot. SL 194/4 in 58 overs
15:13 IST Players are back in the field, Jadeja is going to bowl the first over post second session.
Tea Break!
14:54 IST Last over before tea break, Pandya continues, Karunaratne on strike, he defends the first ball angled into him. He shoulders arms on the next, a dot ball. He comes round the wicket this time, Karunaratne leaves that one as well. He cuts the next ball for a single towards point. Dickwella is on 48, will he reach his half-century in time? Dickwella defends it on the front foot, a dot ball. Another dot ball to end the session. SL 192/4 in 57 overs
14:50 IST Ashwin continues, just a single off the first ball from Karunaratne. Dickwella is aiming for the big shots, 4 dot balls. FOUR! Dickwella sweeps the ball for a boundary, this time succeeds. SL 191/4 in 56 overs
14:45 IST Pandya continues, a single off the short ball as Karunaratne goes off the strike. Dickwella is more determined now, he leaves the ball alone. A yorker from Pandya coming round the wicket, Dickwella defends it. Another one defended on the front foot by Dickwella. He plays the next ball towards the third man, takes a couple of runs as the fielder was a bit wide. A dot ball to end the over. SL 186/4 in 55 overs
14:41 IST Ashwin continues, Karunaratne takes a single off the third ball, going back into the crease and pushing it towards covers. Dickwella is trying to play the over the wicket ball with his pads. Carrom ball from Ashwin, skidding through, no run scored as short leg fielder collects it. Well defended on the front foot. SL 183/4 in 54 overs
14:38 IST Pandya continues, Karunaratne on strike, he defends the first ball. He ducks the bouncer from Hardik. He comes round the wicket to him, two dot balls. Karunarante is giving a tough fight to the Indian bowlers. The ball is reversing now. Another dot ball to follow, Karunaratne comes half forward to play that. A single off the last ball of the over. SL 182/4 in 53 overs
14:32 IST Ashwin continues, Karunaratne on strike. He is been tossing the ball up and trying to bring the batsman forward to play the drive. Just a single taken on the fifth ball of the over by Karunaratne. A dot ball to end the over. SL 181/4 in 52 overs
14:29 IST Pandya is bowling well but runs have been easy to come by. One dropped catch and a string of singles. SL 180/4 in 51 overs
14:25 IST Ashwin continues, a single off the first ball. FOUR! Dickwella gets another boundary, he has settled in now and putting pressure on the Indian bowlers. He takes a single off the fourth ball going back into the crease and cutting it towards the point. Karunaratne defends on the front foot. SL 176/4 in 50 overs
14:21 IST Pandya continues, Karunaratne on strike, he is playing them cautiously. FOUR! A boundary off the first four balls, he has moved to 76 now. Two dot balls to end the over. SL 170/4 in 48 overs
13:15 IST Ashwin continues, FOUR! A boundary to start the over with, Dickwella is sticking to sweeps. Four dot balls to follow. FOUR! Another boundary for Dicwella, starts the over with a boundary and ends it with. SL 165/4 in 47 overs
14:11 IST Shami continues, just two singles from the over. India are desperately looking for a wicket now. They are looking to wrap this up early. SL 157/3 in 46 overs
14:06 IST Two back to back wides from Hardik Pandya. Dickwella is being cautious about it. Six dot balls from Pandya. SL 155/3 in 45 overs
14:00 IST Shami to Karunaratne, a single off the first ball as he dabs it towards the onside. Dickwella works the next ball towards square leg, gets a couple of runs. A slower ball to Dickwella, he manages to dig that one out from the pitch, survives and takes a single. Karunaratne ducks to the short ball, no run. Two more singles from the over. SL 153/4 in 44 overs
13:56 IST Hardik Pandya comes to bowl his first over of the day. Karunaratne takes a single off the second ball by going deep into the crease and playing it towards the third man fielder. FOUR! A boundary off the last ball of the over. SL 147/4 in 43 overs
Drinks Break!
13:48 IST Shami continues, Karunaratne takes a single off the first ball. He is coming round the wicket to Dickwella. Shami is not giving Dickwella much room to play his shots. Dickwella pulls the fifth ball of the over for a single towards deep square leg. A yorker to Karunaratne, just a single off the last ball of the over. SL 142/4 in 42 overs
13:44 IST Ashwin continues, two singles from the first four balls. Edged but safe, Karunaratne survives as the ball falls short of the slip fielder. SL 139/4 in 42 overs
13:40 IST Jadeja to Dickwella, he has been lethal today, bowls another maiden over. SL 134/4 in 41 overs
13:37 IST Runs have started to come now. New batsman Dickwella is looking to play his natural whereas Karunaratne is anchoring the innings. SL 134/4 in 40 overs
13:24 IST A maiden over from Ashwin, the Sri Lankan batsmen are surviving on the edge of the knife. SL 118/4 in 36 overs
13:22 IST Niroshan Dickwella comes to bat, he sweeps the ball and takes a single towards backward square leg. One more single from the over. SL 118/4 in 35 overs
13:18 IST WICKET! Mathews c Hardik Pandya b Jadeja 2(10) Mathews made a mess off that delivery, an irresponsible shot from him leaves the side in danger. SL 116/4 in 34.3 overs
13:14 IST Jadeja to Mathews, three dot balls from him. A single off the fourth ball of the over. Just one more single from the over. SL 114/3 in 31 overs
13:11 IST Karunaratne on strike, Ashwin continues, he is switching the ends every time around. FOUR! A boundary off the last ball of the over. SL 112/3 in 30 overs
13:09 IST Mathews comes to bat, he defends the first ball, no runs scored. SL 108/3 in 29 overs
13:06 IST WICKET! Kusal Mendis c Saha b Jadeja 36(71)
13:06 IST Jadeja to Mendis, he is bowling well to the Sri Lankan, creating problems for the batsman. A huge appeal on the fourth ball, Kohli takes the DRS. The decision is reversed, Mendis has to go back for 36, Jadeja gets another breakthrough. SL 108/3 in 28.4 overs
13:02 IST Ashwin is now coming round the wicket to Karunaratne, he is not comfortable with that line, the batsman. The slog sweep went wrong and after that he has turned cautious. Last ball bowled from round the wicket, no run. SL 108/2 in 28 overs
12:59 IST Jadeja continues, Mendis defends the first ball. Mendis plays the next ball fine, takes three runs towards the third man. That was a cheeky shot from him as it moves just past Kohli. A single taken off the last ball of the over. SL 108/2 in 27 overs
12:57 IST Ashwin continues, round the wicket to Mendis, a huge lbw appeal from Saha, he is confident. The Umpire says no! DRS taken by Kohli as Saha convinces him. Nothing on the ultra edge, the decision stays. He plays the next ball towards short midwicket, a dot ball. He shoulders arms on the ball going down the leg side, a dot ball. Good bowling from Ashwin but Mendis is doing well to defend it. He flicks the ball towards square leg, takes a single. SL 104/2 in 26 overs
12:52 IST Jadeja continues, Mendis on strike, FOUR! Mendis slogs the ball towards deep midwicket, gets a boundary, well played. Next ball, he drives the ball, it was going towards the boundary but Shami cuts it off, three runs there, 100 up for Sri Lanka! A dot ball to follow. Karunaratne pushes the ball towards covers, good batting from him. He defends the next ball coming half forward. Another defensive block. SL 103/2 in 25 overs
12:49 IST Karunaratne on strike, Ashwin continues, he is trying to bowl a little faster in the second session. The third ball was slightly short and it was given the treatment it deserved, FOUR! First boundary post first session. An edge off the fifth ball but it falls short of the second slip. He plays the ball towards long on, 50 for Karunaratne! SL 94/2 in 24 overs
12:45 IST Jadeja continues, Mendis on strike, good bowling from him as he is making the batsman play the ball, spinning it away from him. Mendis is also picking the one which spins and which one does not. He is getting turn from the surface. A couple of runs off the last ball of the over. SL 88/2 in 23 overs
12:44 IST Ashwin comes round the wicket to Mendis, takes a leading edge but safe, a dot ball. He plays the next one towards midwicket, a dot ball. Mendis plays the next one on the back foot towards point, a dot ball. He plays the next one towards mid off, did not time it well, a dot ball. A single taken towards backward square leg. Karunaratne on strike, takes a deft edge. SL 86/2 in 22 overs
12:40 IST The players are back to the field for the second session of play!
LUNCH BREAK!
12:01 IST Ashwin-Jadeja are getting off their overs quickly. A few singles from the overs, these two are not willing to give up easily. Indian bowlers will have to devise strategies to get the wickets quickly. SL 85/2 in 24 overs
11:55 IST Jadeja too is keeping the pressure on, just a single from the over. SL 79/2 in 21 overs
11:53 IST One more single run over from Ashwin, he is not letting the batsmen score and gradually increasing the pressure. SL 78/2 in 20 overs
11:49 IST Jadeja continues, Karunaratne-Mendis have been able to stand their ground. Pitch has shown a few hints of turn and bounce, Just a single from the over. SL 77/2 in 19 overs
11:47 IST Ashwin to Mendis, takes a single off the first ball. Karunaratne is struggling to find room against Ashwin who has been darting the deliveries in. Just a single from the over. SL 76/2 in 18 overs
11:44 IST Jadeja to bowl the last over before lunch, maybe. Mendis and Karunaratne have been able to hold for this far. They are picking up singles and not letting the bowlers dominate. Three singles from the over. SL 75/2 in 17 overs
11:41 IST Ashwin has been introduced into the attack, spin from both ends. Karunaratne takes a single off the third ball of the over. Mendis guides the ball towards long on, takes a single. The odd ball is turning causing problems for the left-handed batsman. SL 72/2 in 16 overs
11:38 IST Jadeja continues, Karunaratne works it towards square leg for a couple of runs. A single off the third ball. Mendis struggles to get off the strike. SL 70/2 in 15 overs
11:36 IST Karunaratne on strike, Yadav continues he pushes the ball into the gap, a couple of runs off that ball. Yadav is still trying to look for that second wicket in his first spell. A single off the last ball of the over, retains strike. SL 67/2 in 14 overs
11:32 IST Ravindra Jadeja comes to bowl, Karunaratne on strike, he reverse-sweeps, FOUR! A boundary for him, Jadeja is not happy with Umesh. Next ball defended by the batsman. He plays the next one towards square leg, merely flicks it, takes a single off that one, good running between the wickets. FOUR! Too short from Jadeja, Mendis pounces on it and hits a boundary towards point. He lets the next ball go to Saha who feels ‘acha acha hai’. SL 64/2 in 13 overs
11:27 IST Yadav continues, a dot ball to start with, this is maybe Yadav’s last over of the spell. Another mild appeal from Umesh but the Umpire says no. He flicks the ball towards deep square leg, gets three runs off that one. We have seen batsmen running three runs a lot in this first Test. Mendis plays the ball on the back foot, a dot ball. Hardik Pandya is warming up in the covers, he might be bowling soon. Mendis played the ball towards short midwicket, a dot ball. Beaten on the last ball. SL 55/2 in 12 overs
11:23 IST Shami continues, Mendis has been targetted in the area of uncertainty. Mendis gets off the strike on the third ball of the over. Karunaratne defends the ball with a back foot block. A mild lbw appeal from Shami, a single taken there. Short ball to end the over. SL 52/2 in 11 overs
11:20 IST Umesh Yadav continues, Mendis plays the ball towards midwicket, takes a couple of runs off the first ball. Edged but safe! Kohli puts in a dive to save that one, he saves a boundary there. Next ball, Mendis pulls his bat out of the way, a dot ball. Another defensive shot off the back foot, another dot ball. Mendis takes a single off the last ballSL 50/2 in 10 overs
11:11 IST Shami bowls an outswinger to Mendis, similar to what he bowled him in the first innings, good bowling. Mendis lets the next ball go, lets it go to Saha. Mendis takes a single towards midwicket. A dot ball to Karunaratne, he has looked a lot better compared to the first innings. FOUR! Karunaratne plays it towards the third man region, good batting from him. SL 47/2 in 9 overs
11:07 IST Umesh continues, Mendis on strike, he needs to stay there if Sri Lanka are to make any impact. FOUR! Mendis hits the ball for a boundary towards point after two dot balls, he is showing few signs of aggression. He flicks the short ball for a single towards square leg. Swing and a miss, that was missed the edge by a whisker. He defends the last ball of the over. SL 42/2 in 8 overs
11:01 IST Karunaratne defends the first ball of the over from Shami off the back foot. He works the next one towards fine leg, gets a couple of runs. A short ball from Shami, ducked away. FOUR! He finds a boundary off the fifth ball, it was on the pads and full on the pads. That was a freebie for Karunaratne. A dot ball to end the over. SL 37/2 in 7 overs
10:56 IST Kusal Mendis comes to bat, he takes a single towards backward square leg. Karunaratne takes a single as well, retains strike. SL 31/2 in 6 overs
10:53 IST WICKET! Gunathilaka c Pujara b U Yadav 2(8)
10:53 IST Gunathalika on strike, Yadav pitches it up, a miscued shot in the air but safe. Next ball, defended by the batsman. Looking to find the gap on the next one but finds the fielder, another dot ball. In the air and gone, WICKET! Sri Lanka are only going downhill, another wicket falls. SL 29/2 in 5.4 overs
10:50 IST Shami continues, Gunathilka on strike, he blocks the ball towards the offside. He takes a single towards deep midwicket. Attacking field for Karunaratne, not letting him off the hook. A single taken off the short ball, bowled not according to the field. A quick single towards midwicket off the next ball. Karunaratne defends the next ball on the front foot. Another one defended. SL 29/1 in 5 overs
10:45 IST Umesh Yadav continues, not giving the batsman much to work with. A boundary off the straight drive, FOUR! Just four runs from the over. SL 26/1 in 4 overs
10:41 IST Danuskha Gunathilaka comes to bat, he leaves the first ball. SL 22/1 in 3 overs
10:40 IST WICKET! Tharanga b Shami 10(10)
10:39 IST Shami continues, Tharanga on strike, FOUR! the ball goes towards the third man boundary as it was timed well. The ball was wide and short, Tharanga did not back away from it, he is looking to attack now. He works the next ball away towards square leg, no run. Edged and dropped! Kohli drops the catch at second slip, it was an easy catch. Next ball, it was defended from the crease. BOWLED! Sri Lanka lose their first wicket, played on that one, Shami gets his first wicket, Kohli will be relieved. IND 22/1 in 2.5 overs
10:34 IST Umesh Yadav comes from the other end. Karunarante pushes the ball towards mid off, a dot ball. Next ball, that one beats the batsman and goes past the outside edge. That one was misdirected, Karunaratne flicks it for a couple of runs towards deep square leg. He lets the next ball go to Saha. FOUR! He played that one fine, gets a boundary towards fine leg, good attacking approach from Sri Lankan batsmen. SL 18/0 in 2 overs
10:30 IST Mohammed Shami comes to bowl, surprises Dimuth Karunaratne on the first ball with a short one, edged but goes towards the third man, a single off the first ball. Upul Tharanga on strike now, came into him, an inside edge off the bat, dot ball. He defends the next ball, a dot one. FIVE WIDES! That one bounced a bit more, Tharanga ducks it and it goes past Saha for a boundary. A dot ball to follow. FOUR! Tharanga finds a boundary towards square of the wicket. Next ball, finds the edge, gets a couple of runs off that delivery. SL 12/0 in 1 over
10:23 IST Sri Lankan openers come out to bat, India need 9 wickets to win the match.
And we are off for the second innings. #TeamIndia set Sri Lanka a target of 550 #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/lXIjc6gRCW
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 29, 2017
Sri Lanka need 550 to win the first Test
Virat Kohli declares, Innings Break!
10:14 IST Lahiru Kumara comes to bowl, Rahane takes a single towards square of the wicket. Kohli takes a single as well, though we are still unsure when the Indian Team will declare. Kohli inside edges the short ball, gets a single. Rahane pulls the ball for a single towards square leg. 50 runs have been scored in the session, also 50-run partnership for Rahane-Kohli. He takes a single off the last ball of the over. Indian Team declares. IND 240/3 in 53 overs
10:09 IST Dilruwan continues, Kohli finds the gap, takes a couple of runs. Sri Lankan fielders almost collide, another injury might be in store as h steps on the fielder’s toe. A dot ball to follow, Kohli takes a single towards mid wicket, moves to 99. Rahane takes a single towards long on. Kohli is on 99, he plays the ball towards long on and reaches his 17th Test century, he is happy with that one, removes his helmet. Kohli scores his first hundred in the third innings. Rahane takes a single to end the over. IND 234/3 in 52 overs
Century for the captain and the dressing room erupts to applaud @imVkohli #TeamIndia #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/toVviVvvIQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 29, 2017
10:05 IST Ones and twos have been easy to come by. Kohli is moving towards his century whereas Sri Lankans are playing the waiting game, waiting for India to declare. He bowls a no ball, Pradeep is clearly trying to push harder. Kohli takes a single off the last ball of the over, moves to 96. IND 228/3 in 51 overs
10:00 IST Dilruwan Perera comes to bat, Kohli plays the ball fine, gets a couple of runs off that one. SIX! Kohli comes down the track and flicks the ball on the up, gets a maximum over deep midwicket. He takes a single off the next one. Rahane tries the reverse sweep, gets a couple of runs. They are exploiting Sri Lankan bowlers. Kohli guides the ball towards fine leg, takes a single. 220/3 in 50 overs
09:55 IST Nuwan Pradeep comes to bowl, he is setting the field, Kohli takes a single off the first ball. Meanwhile, the pitch has started to show it’s colour, it is deteriorating with every ball bowled. Rahane drives the ball towards cover sweetly but finds the fielder, a dot ball. FOUR! This time Rahane drives it with disdain gets a boundary towards point. Rahane tries to play that one fine but misses the ball completely, a dot ball. Rahane moves across the stumps and guides the ball towards fine leg, similar to what Steven Smith does, takes a couple of runs. FOUR! Rahane edges the ball, runs away towards boundary. IND 207/3 in 49 overs
09:50 IST Dilruwan Perera comes to bowl as skipper Rangana Herath has not taken the field. Rahane goes into the crease and takes a single towards point. Kohli on strike, he flicks the ball towards square leg, no run. Kohli and Rahane take two singles. He plays the sweep shot off the next, a couple of runs off that one. A single off the last ball of the over. IND 193/3 in 48 overs
09:47 IST Gunathalika continues his over, Rahane defends the first ball. Next ball, Rahane comes down the wicket, he wants a single, a huge mix-up between him and Kohli, he is safe in the end because the throw was at the wrong end. A single off the last ball of the over, Rahane gets off the mark. IND 190/3 in 47 overs
09:43 IST The players are out in the middle early, Ajinkya Rahane joins Virat Kohli. Danushka Gunathalika will be continuing his over.
09:41 IST Sri Lanka have a tough road ahead of them, they might need a touch of luck to draw the Test match.
09:33 IST Meanwhile, Jadeja is revealing how he changed his bowling approach which has helped him to reach the top of ICC Test Bowler Rankings.
09:23 IST Abhinav Mukund finally had his chance and he made full use of it, scored 81 and put on a partnership with Kohli when the chips were down.
09:14 IST This Test is not expected to see the light of Day 5 if Sri Lankan batsmen perform the same way they did in the first inning. Asela Gunaratne’s absence will hurt their chances to draw the match.
09:07 IST Will Kohli declare the innings as soon as he scores his century? Stay tuned for all the updates of Day 4.
Welcome to inUth’s live digital coverage where you can find the latest score updates and commentary of India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Day 5 from Galle. India have a lead of 498 runs prior to Day 4, with two days to go, Indian bowlers will be raring to have a go at the Sri Lankan batsmen. Whereas skipper Virat Kohli has decided to carry on and bat, he has not declared yet. From the looks of it, India might bat through the first session of Day 4 and try to score as many runs as possible.
Kohli is currently batting on 76 from 114 balls and is heading towards another century in Tests. Ajinkya Rahane is to bat according to the batting order but the team might reassess that and send Hardik Pandya to score freely and get the score past 600 in the first session.
Pitch Report:
Like every other pitch on Day 4 the Galle pitch too has started to deteriorate and is helping the spinners. Though Rangana Herath incurred an injury when he dived to his left to save the ball from going to the boundary. Sri Lanka will be playing the waiting game as India are expected to declare at any moment they get a lead which is deemed fit for the hosts.
Weather Report:
Galle’s weather is unexpected but the weather forecast does not display any passing showers on Day 4. On Day 3, the passing showers stopped the play for over an hour but it does not like a possibility on Day 4.
Playing XIs:
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne (retired), Niroshan Dickwella(w), Dilruwan Perera, Rangana Herath(c), Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Abhinav Mukund, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami
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