They have secured a first-innings lead of 87 runs having bowled out the hosts for 306 runs in reply to their first inning’s score of 393.
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Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane hit half-centuries as India moved towards a big lead in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval on Sunday.
As the morning wore on, Vijay began limping through his singles – possibly due to a return of the hamstring troubles that had kept him out of the first Test. Having reached 82, he shaped to sweep Kaushal from the stumps and missed.
India made a brisk start by adding 68 runs in the first hour, with Vijay slamming sixes off fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera and Kaushal.
Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order soon crumbled, losing its last seven wickets for 65 runs. While India’s morning run rate was close to five an over before Vijay’s wicket, it dropped to just over three an over thereafter, giving Sri Lanka a bit of hope that they can stem it further with a couple more strikes after lunch.
Vijay made 82 and Rahane was unbeaten on 82, the pair sharing a second-wicket partnership of 140 that boosted the total after Lokesh Rahul had fallen off the fifth ball of the innings on Saturday evening.
Tharindu Kaushal captured the two wickets to fall in the morning after going wicketless for 42 overs and 160 runs on a pitch that has slowed down considerably but offering slow turn.
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Rohit Sharma was the other batsman at the crease on two. India were batting at 179 for three at Lunch.
