India well in control of first Test in Galle

Cricket365
July 28, 2017

India are in firm control of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, the visitors reaching 189/3 at stumps on Day three to take a commanding lead of 498 with seven wickets remaining.

Opener Abhinav Mukund (81) and his captain Virat Kohli put on a stand of 133 for the third wicket in the second innings but Mukund was out with what turned out to be the last ball of the day when he went out lbw to give Danushka Gunathilaka his first wicket in Test cricket.

Kohli will start the fourth morning on 76 not out with all eyes on the skipper to check when he will declare.

The visitors have lost both their centurions of the first innings, Shihkar Dhawan (14) and Cheteshwar Pujara (15) falling cheaply in the second dig at the crease.

Sri Lanka resumed on the third morning on 154/5 and did well to reach 291 all out, thanks mainly to Angelo Mathews and Dilruwan Perera.

Mathews went on to score 83 while Perera was left stranded on an unbeaten 92 when he ran out of partners.

Left-arm spinner Ravi Jadeja was the pick of the India bowlers after returning figures of 3/67 while seamer Mohammad Shami bowled well on an unresponsive pitch to claim 2/45 and their was also first wicket in Test cricket Hardik Pandya.

India only had to take nine Sri Lankan wickets as allrounder Asela Gunaratne did not bat as he has been ruled out of the series after breaking his thumb in the field on the first day.

The visitors won the toss on the first morning and posted a mammoth 600 all out in their first innings.