India vs Sri Lanka First Test Highlights: Ashwin, Dhawan Emerge Brightest Stars On Day One
Ravichandran Ashwin was the chief destroyer with a haul of 6/46, the best figures by an Indian bowler in Tests in Sri Lanka. The hosts never recovered and they were bowled out for 183. India lost two early wickets but Shikhar Dhawan scored his third Test fifty and shared a 100-run stand with Virat Kohli to help India to 128/2. Catch all the highlights here.
India finished in 128/2 after Ravichandran Ashwin's 6 for 46 bundled Sri Lanka out for 183. Relive all the highlights here. (SCHEDULE) (SCORECARD)
(All times in IST)
17:30: That will be stumps on day one. A thoroughly dominating performance from India and they are in the driver's seat. After the loss of two early wickets, Dhawan and Kohli have put together a 100-run partnership and they have ended the day on 128/2, trailing Sri Lanka by 55 runs.
17:28: Kohli pushes a flighted delivery from Kaushal to mid-on and that brings up the 100-run partnership. India have totally bossed the game today.
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17:15: Dhawan gets to his third Test fifty and India are in a commanding position. Kohli is also coming close to his fifty and Sri Lanka are looking deflated. India are 119/2, trailing by 64 runs.
17:00: India have reached the 100 mark and both batsmen are moving smoothly. India need to break this partnership quickly. India are 100/2, trailing by 83 runs.
16:54: Kaushal is troubling Dhawan with his tight lines around off stump. In the last ball of the 24th over, Dhawan pads up to a delivery just outside off and Sri Lanka appeal for an LBW. However, the impact seemed to be outside off. However, Sri Lanka will be worried about the number of no-balls Kaushal has bowled. In five overs, he has already bowled five no-balls.
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16:44: Two balls later, Dhawan rocks back and guides a shortish delivery to third man to bring up the fifty-run partnership. Kohli is looking in great touch and things don't look bright for Sri Lanka. India are 88/2 and going strong.
16:43: Total chaos out there! Dhawan survives a run-out! He comes on the front foot and bunts a low full toss to mid on. He charges down the track blindly and Kohli sends him back. The fielder fires the throw at the wrong end and that allows Dhawan to come back. Kohli is fuming and he is shouting at Dhawan.
16:28: DROPPED! That could be a costly drop for Sri Lanka as the Sri Lankan skipper drops Dhawan. Kaushal tosses this delivery up and it breaks away just outside off, Dhawan pokes at it and Mathews at slip is unable to latch on to it. Dhawan gets a life on 28 and in the very next ball, Kohli smokes a drive to extra cover. India are 70/2.
16:22: Just a note on Rohit Sharma. It is a well-documented fact that Rohit does not like batting in Sri Lanka. Following his dismissal in this innings, Rohit's last nine international innings (across formats) in Sri Lanka read 0,11,5,5,0,0,4,4 and 9. Talk about a horror show with the bat!
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16:08: Virat Kohli brings up the team fifty for India with a glorious front foot cover drive. At the other end, Dhawan is settling in. India are 50/2.
15:58: Dhawan is looking in great touch at the other end. Nuwan Pradeep errs in his line and length and Dhawan capitalises on it by smashing two wonderful boundaries. India are 36/2.
15:49: However, Rohit is unable to capitalize and Angelo Mathews strikes! Rohit Sharma LBW Mathews 9 (24).
Rohit's struggles against Mathews continues. The skipper lands this delivery on a good length and it cuts back in, Rohit plays inside the line of the delivery and it hits him on the back pad, Mathews appeals and the umpire raises the finger instantly. Enter Virat Kohli and India are 28/2.
15:45: Close call for Rohit Sharma! Prasad gets this delivery to nip back in and Rohit is late in getting the bat down, the ball thuds into the pad and the umpire gives Rohit the marching orders. However, they check for the no-ball and Prasad has overstepped by a long way. The decision is overturned and Rohit continues. Prasad is deflated as he walks back to his mark.
15:37: Loud appeal for a LBW but not given! Close call for Rohit Sharma. Angelo Mathews bowls this delivery on a good length outside off and it comes back, Rohit does not offer a shot and the ball hits the front pad, Sri Lanka appeal but the umpire is unmoved. The impact was well outside the off stump. India are 25/1.
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15:16: Sri Lanka strike early and Lokesh Rahul falls. KL Rahul LBW Prasad 7 (7).
Good bowling from Dhammika Prasad. He gets this delivery to move back in from a good length and it traps Rahul in front. The batsman was a little late in getting the bat down and the ball would have crashed into middle and leg stump.
15:15: A very interesting statistic regarding the Indian batting line-up. Virat Kohli is currently the highest run-getter in the team with 2561 runs. The second-highest is (Believe it) Harbhajan Singh, with 2209 runs.
15:10: Shikhar Dhawan gets off the mark with a cracking four off Nuwan Pradeep. In the process, he reaches 1000 runs in Tests. Good effort.
15:03: Play is under way in the final session of the first day. Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul have come out to the middle. Dhammika Prasad is opening the bowling. Sri Lanka will have to bowl out of their skins if they have to restrict India.
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14:45: R Ashwin's haul of 6/46 is the best haul by an Indian in Tests in Sri Lanka. The previous best was a haul of 6/102 by Harbhajan in the 2008 Galle Test, a match which India won by 170 runs.
14:40: All over! Ashwin gets his sixth wicket! Rangana Herath b Ashwin 23.
Fittingly, it is R Ashwin who finishes the innings off. He bowls a full, flat delivery and Herath attempts to sweep it to midwicket but he misses it. The ball hits the off stump and he finishes with figures of 13.4-2-46-6. Sri Lanka 183 all-out.
14:32: DOUBLE STRIKE FROM MISHRA! Chandimal falls in the quest for quick runs. Chandimal c Rahane b Amit Mishra 59 (77). In the very next ball, Tharindu Kaushal falls tamely. Kaushal c Rohit Sharma b Amit Mishra 0(1)
Amit Mishra is on a hat-trick! Chandimal comes down the wicket and looks to slog it over midiwicket against the turn but ends up getting an outside edge that is snapped up by Rahane at slip. In the very next ball, Kaushal jabs at a delivery, gets an inside edge onto the pad and Rohit Sharma at short leg takes the catch. However, Mishra misses the hat-trick as Nuwan Pradeep survives.
14:30: Sweep and Reverse Sweep! These are the only two shots that Rangana Herath seems to be employing in order to counter the spinners. He has hit four boundaries in his knock. Here is an interesting tweet of his record with the bat at Galle.
Rangana Herath has a Test fifty (80*) that came against same opponent at the same ground! #SLvIND
- Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) August 12, 2015
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14:25: Chandimal is looking to take the attack to Ashwin as Sri Lanka look for quick runs. With the tail not wagging as often for the hosts, the onus is on Chandimal to take as much of the strike as possible.
14:11: Ashwin can do no wrong. Dhammika Prasad LBW Ashwin 0 (5).
Ashwin is having the time of his life in Galle. Prasad makes the fatal mistake of playing back to a flighted offbreak and he plays down the wrong line to be trapped plumb in front. This is Ashwin's 11th five-wicket haul. Five-Star Ashwin.
14:07: Bang! Bang! Bang! Three magnificent boundaries off Aaron from Chandimal and he notches up his eighth Test fifty off just 65 balls. He will have to shoulder the responsibility of taking Sri Lanka to a decent total.
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14:01: And Ashwin responds! Magnificent bowling and an amazing catch by Rohit Sharama at short leg. Angelo Mathews c Rohit Sharma b Ashwin 64 (92).
Ashwin flights this delivery and lures Mathews out of the crease, the batsman tries to get to the pitch of the ball and work it to midwicket but the ball takes the inside edge onto the pad to fly quickly to short leg, Rohit Sharma parries it up on the first attempt and dives forward to take a wonderful catch on the second attempt. Mathews is gutted and India have broken this stand. Ashwin gets his fourth wicket.
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14:00: The partnership between Mathews and Chandimal is growing. Mathews survives a close chance when he flashes a wide ball past the diving Rohit Sharma at first slip. India desperately need a wicket.
13:39: Captain Angelo to the rescue! The Sri Lanka skipper gets to his 22nd Test Fifty and his second against India and he reaches the landmark in style. He dances down the track to Harbhajan Singh and lofts him over long-on to bring up his fifty with a six. The fifty-run partnership is also up. Sri Lanka will be hoping that both carry on.
13:32: The partnership between Mathews and Chandimal is reviving Sri Lanka. India have looked a bit flat in this session so far but credit must be given to both batsmen for playing with confidence.
13:00: Mathews has started off positively in the second session. He smashes Ishant for two boundaries in one over, including one tennis-like forehanded shot down the ground. Ishant will feel very unlucky here.
How many times have India allowed the opposition to bounce back after having them 5 down for little? #SLvIND
- Nishad Pai Vaidya (@nishad_45) August 12, 2015
12:50: Loud appeal for LBW but Chandimal survives! Ishant is in that zone here. He gets this delivery to bend back in late and Chandimal is late on the stroke as the ball thuds into the pads. Ishant and India appeal vehemently but the umpire is unmoved. Replays show Chandimal getting an inside edge. Very next ball, the batsman responds with a wonderful cover drive. Sri Lanka are 69/5.
12:48: DROPPED! Wriddhiman Saha, the wicketkeeper, drops an absolute sitter. Beautiful bowling from Ishant. In that channel just outside off and it nips away slightly, Chandimal pokes at it and gets an outside edge but Saha makes a mess of it. Chandimal gets a life on 5.
12:45: Harbhajan begins with a maiden but his first over did not look threatening. His line was mostly down the leg side and he could not get the drift that Ashwin generated. Ishant Sharma, who had an outstanding first spell, starts off from the other end.
12:42: The players are back on the field after the lunch break. Harbhajan Singh, the third spinner in the line-up, will start off proceedings in the second session. Mathews and Chandimal have a huge mountain to climb.
12:05: Some fans have tweeted about Ashwin's achievements and about how this is Amit Mishra's second life under Ashwin
12:00: That is Lunch at Galle.
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India have dominated. R Ashwin was the star as he sliced through the middle order by taking three quick wickets, including the massive wicket of Kumar Sangakkara. Earlier, Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma removed the openers. Angelo Mathews (26*) has fought it out and he has a massive task on his hands. Sri Lanka are 65/5 and they will be hoping to have a better second session.
11:55: Ashwin is unstoppable and he is all over Sri Lanka! Jehan Mubarak c Rahul b Ashwin 0 (7)
Turn, Extra bounce, Wicket! Three simple mantras that R Ashwin is following. He gets this delivery to bounce a bit more, Mubarak comes on the front foot and stabs at it, the ball takes the inside edge onto the pad and Lokesh Rahul at short leg takes the catch. Sri Lanka are in a woeful situation at 64/5.
11:47: Ashwin strikes again and Thirimanne departs. Thirimanne c Rahane b Ashwin 13 (38)
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Brilliant bowling by Ashwin. He tosses this delivery up and it spins away outside off, Thirimanne jabs at it and the outside edge is snapped up by Rahane at slip. Sri Lanka 54/4.
11:44: Decent start for Mishra in his first over. The legspinner is making a comeback into the Indian team after a gap of four years. Sri Lanka have been tormented by legspinners in the recent past, with Yasir Shah taking 24 wickets for Pakistan while Imran Tahir troubled them on South Africa's tour. An article was written about this trend.
11:39: Spin from both ends now. Amit Mishra into the attack. With R Ashwin operating from the other end, Sri Lanka have a tricky twenty minutes before lunch. Sri Lanka are 50/3.
11:33: Ishant ends his first spell and it has been an outstanding one. He has bowled in the right areas and has troubled the batsman consistently with his extra bounce. He currently has figures of 7-3-7-1. On the other hand, Aaron has not been good on his comeback spell as both Thirimanne and Mathews hit him for a boundary.
11:20: Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews is trying to take the attack to the Indian bowlers. Sri Lanka are in a dicey situation and they need the skipper to do well. So far, they have just hit three boundaries and they need to be more aggressive. The performance by the Sri Lankans have not gone down well with fans.
Seriously 3 down already. This is Galle pitch. Must survive 1st session without loosing more than 1 wicket. Then its a Paradise #SLvIND
- Sasa (AVSS) (@SasaAVS) August 12, 2015
11:10: Ashwin strikes! Galle has fallen silent as Kumar Sangakkara goes! Sangakkara c Rahul b Ashwin 5 (12)
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That is an outstanding catch by Lokesh Rahul at silly point. Sangakkara goes on the backfoot and punches this delivery but Rahul takes a sharp catch at silly point. People in the stadium cannot believe it. Sri Lanka are 27/3.
11:00: Drinks! Good first hour for India. Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron probed away and did not allow the Sri Lankan openers to settle. Kaushal Silva got a life on 4 but Ishant got the breakthrough when he sent back Karunaratne with a bouncer. Aaron joined the fun and also got Silva with a bouncer. Sangakkara and Thirimanne have a big job ahead.
10:49: Both Ishant and Aaron have struck with bouncers. Both the bowlers have used the conditions well and have made Sri Lanka struggle.
There is some bounce in this Galle pitch. And India have made good use of it. Two early wickets picked up by bouncers. #INDvSL
- Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 12, 2015
10:46: Enter Kumar Sangakkara and he gets a tremendous ovation as he strides out to the middle. Firecrackers go off at the stadium and everybody at the stadium are applauding him. Sri Lanka need Sangakkara to score some big runs.
10:43: Another Wicket! Kaushal Silva c Dhawan b Aaron 5
This time Aaron joins the party. This short delivery is down the leg side and Silva tries to pull it, the ball hits his glove and takes the back of the bat, Dhawan runs back from first slip and dives to his right to take the catch. Silva falls for 5 and Sri Lanka are 15/2.
10:40: Ishant strikes. Dimuth Karunaratne c Rahane b Ishant 9
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India have the breakthrough. He was causing a lot of problems to Karunaratne coming round the wicket. Ishant bowls a short delivery and Karunaratne is surprised by the extra bounce, he tries to fend it away but the ball takes the top edge and Ajinkya Rahane at gully takes the catch. Karunaratne falls and Sri Lanka are 15/1.
10:35: Some interesting tweets regarding the composition of the Indian bowling in this Test. India are playing three spinners and two fast bowlers, which is rare.
The last time India played 3 spinners in an away Test was at ColomboRPS in 1997. Sri Lanka made 952/6d #IndvSL
- Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) August 12, 2015
10: 25: DROPPED! Shikhar Dhawan drops a simple catch at first slip. Short and wide delivery from Aaron again, Silva cuts it hard and the edge flies to first slip where Dhawan fluffs the chance. Aaron cannot believe it and Silva gets a life on 4. Sri Lanka are 14/0.
10:24: First boundary of the Test match and it comes from the bat of Kaushal Silva. Slightly short and wide from Aaron, Silva rocks back and cuts it to third man.
10:15: Good first over from Aaron. Tight lines and pace touching 87 miles per hour. Karunaratne gets going with a couple of braces. Sri Lanka 5/0.
10:10: Decent first over from Ishant. Good bounce, pace slightly above 85 miles per hour. Varun Aaron to begin from the other end. Four slips and a gully for him.
10:05: Slight hold-up in play. The batsman are having some problems with the sightscreen and it is taking a bit of time to get it fixed. Virat Kohli has a wry smile on his face as he chats with the two umpires.
10:00: All set for the start in Galle. Kaushal Silva, who stroked a confident 83 in the warm-up game against India, has come out with Dimuth Karunaratne. Ishant Sharma will open the bowling for India. Three slips and a gully in place.
09:45: The weather is sunny at the moment in Galle. There was lot of rain heading into the Test match and both teams will be hoping that the rain stays away. However, according to the weather forecast, light rain is forecast for the first three days and heavy rain is expected in the weekend.
09:40: Here are the playing XIs of both teams
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews(c), Dinesh Chandimal(w), Jehan Mubarak, Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad, Nuwan Pradeep, T Kaushal
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma
09:30: Sri Lanka have won the toss and chosen to bat. India are playing three spinners and two pace bowlers. Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin are the three spinners while Varun Aaron and Ishant Sharma are the pace bowlers.
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Virat Kohli's Team India have the challenging task of winning a Test series in Sri Lanka. India have never won a series in the island nation since 1993 and Kohli will not only have to score the runs but deal with a batting line-up where the top six has never played a Test match in Lanka.
In many ways, this Test series will revolve around the individual brilliance of players. India's team director Ravi Shastri has pooh-poohed ICC rankings and said Kohli was among the top two batsmen in the world. Is that extra pressure on a young captain leading the country for the first time in a full series? (Related read: Virat Kohli excited to lead India in first full series as captain)
Former batting legend and NDTV expert Sunil Gavaskar sees Kohli as Team India's lead man. "He should bat at No. 3. Ricky Ponting did that when he was captain, he didn't go down the order. Virat should come in at No. 3 and set the team's agenda," Gavaskar said. There is talk that Rohit Sharma may bat at No. 3 that once belonged to the reliable Rahul Dravid.
From Sri Lanka's point of view, Kumar Sangakkara's farewell series should be good enough for the team to lift itself. But the Lankans have looked vulnerable in Galle, once their fortress. The Lankans have lost two of their last three matches in Galle. Can Sangakkara reverse the trend in his penultimate Test? (Also read: Rain gods loom large over Galle skyline)
Sangakkara's extended life in Tests is due to young skipper Angelo Mathews, who will be playing his 50th Test.
"In the last eight years of my career, Kumar Sangakkara has helped me personally. He is always willing to help the young guys and whenever you play a bad shot he comes up to us and says that we can play it in a better way.
"He gives confidence to the youngest and not only for the batsmen -- for the bowlers as well. We learnt a lot from him and we are thankful for who he has been for the team on and off the field. He is your go-to man. You can always go to him and get an honest opinion," said Mathews. (Also read: Kumar Sangakkara's biggest cricketing relief)
It's all set for a great contest between two groups of Generation Next cricketers. Only the rain should not play spoilsport.