Amit Mishra has
Sri Lanka 'A' in a twirl
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra bagged five of the last six wickets in the Sri Lanka 'A' innings to
give India 'A' a handsome lead of 115 runs on the second day
of their four-day first unofficial Test at the SSC stadium in Colombo on Friday.
The 19-year-old Haryana leggie overshadowed the more
experienced Sairaj Bahutule as he ran through the hosts' late
order and reduced them from 152 for four to 200 all out, in
reply to India's first innings total of 315.
Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 249 for
five, India lost all-rounder Jai Prakash Yadav for 69, bowled
by Pulasti Gunaratne, who finished with impressive figures of
five for 57.
Yadav's 69 contained six boundaries and a six.
However, left-hander Parthiv Patel carried on and was the
last man out, for a well-made 74.
Patel and Yadav put on 86 for
the sixth wicket.
Bahutule and L Balaji were out cheaply, but a 49-run
partnership for the ninth wicket between Patel and Mishra
helped India to cross the 300-run mark.
Patel's 185-ball innings
contained seven hits to the fence. For Lanka, all-rounder
Dulip Liyanage returned figures of four for 43.
Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start, with hard-hitting
left-hander Avishka Gunawardena surviving three lbw appeals in
the very first over from Balaji.
However, he settled down to
score early boundaries off the medium pacers, especially
left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan and added 48 runs for the opening
wicket with Ian Daniel, who was dismissed by Jai Yadav for 15.
One down batsman Navid Nawaz followed suit as Sri Lanka were
reduced to 55 for two.
Skipper Tillakeratne M Dilshan tried to steady the
innings in Gunawardena's company, but the opener, who had made
48 off 62 balls with nine boundaries, went for a wild slash at
a widish delivery from Pathan, to be caught at deep third man.
After Chamara Silva was caught behind off Irfan for 18,
Muthumudalige Pushpakumara showed some promise, hitting two
fours and a six, before losing his wicket to a half-hearted
stroke off Mishra. His attempted pull ended in the hands of
short mid-wicket. After Sri Lanka lost their fifth wicket at
152, the next four wickets fell with the addition of just nine
more runs.
While Balaji had Malinda Perera caught behind for no
score, Liyanage fell to Mishra. Dilshan, who was holding one
end up for a long time, 147 minutes to be precise, for his
37, saw a Mishra leg-break turning late and taking a fine
edge to the wicket-keeper.
Gunaratne pulled a not-so-short ball into the hands of
Yadav at mid-wicket, but the last-wicket pair of left-handed
Rangana Herath and Chamila Gamage prolonged the Sri Lankan
innings with a partnership of 39.
Gamage, who helped himself to some boundaries with lusty
hits off Mishra to take his side to 200, was the last man out
when he failed to read a well-directed wrongun that caught
him plumb in front.
Seven more overs were due to be bowled in the day, even
though the time was well past six O'clock, but the Indian
openers successfully appealed for light as soon as they
reached the crease.
Mail Cricket Editor
