Rangana Herath‘s third Test fifty propped up Sri Lanka’s lead to 122 before the visitors were bowled out for 294 on the fourth afternoon at the Eden Gardens. Mohammed Shami, on his home ground, rattled through Sri Lanka’s middle order to finish with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar added two wickets on the fourth day to return 4 for 88.
Herath was particularly effective with cross-batted strokes on either side of the wicket. He would frequently perch on the back foot, and depending on the line, either cut through point or pull past midwicket. Considering deliveries on a good or short length were routinely beating him with a straight bat, it was a rewarding strategy. He had moved to 67, the highest score of the Test, before slicing a catch to deep backward point off Bhuvneshwar.
After overcoming a bout of cramps on the second day, Shami cranked up the pace and generated appreciable seam movement on a grassy pitch. He finished the innings by having Suranga Lakmal drag on off an exuberant drive for 16.
Niroshan Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal began the fourth morning under sunny skies by counterattacking India’s seamers. But like Sadeera Samarawickrama found out on the third day, hitting through the line can be fraught with risk against the moving ball because it threatens both edges. Their approach worked for the first half hour, taking Sri Lanka to 200, a handy lead of 28.
Just when it seemed like Sri Lanka wrested control, India hit back. Sri Lanka’s middle order tried to make contact with the ball, as opposed to allowing themselves to be beaten by playing the line. It was a ploy to move the Test along,and on a seaming surface like this, it wasn’t a bad one.
- ESPN
