Dousing the initial spell of strife, Sri Lanka build on from their overnight score of 140 for 3 to end the first session on a bright note, adding 84 more runs without the loss of another wicket. Both Lahiru Thirimanne (57) and skipper Angelo Mathews (72) struck half centuries to aid the hosts’ pursuit of surpassing India’s first innings account of 393.

Whereas Mathews was fluent from the start, driving Stuart Binny for a brace of boundaries in the latter’s first over of the morning, Thirimanne was nervous to start with, especially against Ishant Sharma, who coaxed an edge only to fall in front of the first slip.

As he had been since the beginning of the tour, Ishant bowled with heart and fire. He consistently landed the ball at a short of length, and made the ball hold its line to the left-handed Thirimanne. To Mathews, he mostly bowled the ones that shaped into him. But unlike the morning session of the first two days, there was hardly any assistance for the seamers, clearly because it didn’t rain overnight, and thus the nonexistence of moisture.

But he woefully lacked the support from the other end. Binny was replaced with Umesh Yadav after the former’s first over. However, Yadav couldn’t replicate the discipline he had shown yesterday, and gave batsmen enough pressure-releasing boundary balls. Subsequently, he was removed after two overs, which conceded 11 runs.

The spinners began on a threatening note. Amit Mishra made one drift into Mathews, before it viciously spun away after pitching, in the process beating his outside edge. Ashwin had Thirimanne flirting indecisively at Ashwin. But thereafter, the Sri Lankans played convincingly. More than once, Ashwin erred on the shorter side and he was dispatched for boundaries by Thirimanne. Just before reaching his half century, coming after eight innings, he stepped out to Ashwin and lofted him over mid-off, only the heaviness of the field not taking it to the boundary.  In his 142nd ball, he brought up his fourth Test fifty.

Mathews, on the other hand, was imperious, consuming only 81 balls for his half century. Towards the end of the session, Yadav troubled him with leg cutters, but there’s enough evidence to suggest that he is in for a long haul. Their partnership has moved on to 110 runs, and unless India disrupt them early in the second session, with the second new ball, their day could be long and dreary. 

(The New Indian Express)