India bowled Sri Lanka out for 290 in their first innings and enforced the follow-on on Day 4 of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday, leaving the hosts 213 runs behind after the visitors had declared at 503/9.
Sri Lanka were forced to bat again in the second session despite a gritty century from Sonal Dinusha, who continued his impressive run against India with a composed 103 off 162 balls.
Resuming the day at 265/8, Sri Lanka needed 39 more runs to avoid the follow-on. Dinusha took the attack to Saransh Jain, hitting a couple of boundaries as he moved closer to his second successive Test century.
Lahiru Kumara also added a boundary to his overnight score before becoming Jain’s maiden Test victim. The debutant spinner claimed his first Test wicket when Kumara was dismissed, bringing India closer to wrapping up the innings.
Dinusha completed his century with a boundary off Prasidh Krishna, becoming the latest lower-order resistance India had to overcome. He had scored 100 and 84 in the first Test at Galle and continued his fine form before eventually falling for 103.
Jain claimed his second wicket of the innings by dismissing Dinusha, with KL Rahul completing a simple catch in the slips to end Sri Lanka’s innings at 290.
India then enforced the follow-on, with Sri Lanka beginning their second innings with Kamil Mishara and Lahiru Udara opening the batting.
The hosts’ first innings had been built around a series of partnerships after they resumed Day 3 at 8/2. Debutant Kamil Mishara was dismissed for 19 by Prasidh Krishna before Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis countered India’s attack.
Sooriyabandara made 80 before Ravindra Jadeja dismissed him, while captain Dhananjaya de Silva was removed by Manav Suthar. Niroshan Dickwella then fell for a duck to Mohammed Siraj, putting Sri Lanka further under pressure.
Dinusha took charge thereafter, first reaching his half-century and then combining with Keshara Nuwantha to frustrate India. Nuwantha made 18 before being dismissed by Suthar, but Dinusha continued his resistance with Kumara.
Rain had brought an early end to Day 3 with Sri Lanka on 265/8, but the hosts could not add enough runs on Wednesday to avoid the follow-on.
India had earlier posted 503/9 declared after winning the toss. Devdutt Padikkal top-scored with 117, while Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 115. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant also made valuable contributions, with Pant scoring a brisk 63.
Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with four wickets, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha claimed two each.
With Sri Lanka now batting for the second time, India need all 10 wickets to complete an innings victory. The hosts, however, will first need to erase the 213-run deficit before they can set India a target.
India will look to wrap up the match before the scheduled end of play on Thursday, while Sri Lanka face a daunting task of extending the contest into a fifth day.
