Jadeja, Prasidh strike to take India close to win over SL at lunch

Galle (PTI): Ravindra Jadeja breached a stonewalling alliance between Sonal Dinusha and Dhananjaya de Silva, reducing Sri Lanka to 175 for six at lunch to push India closer to a victory on the fifth and final day of the first Test here on Wednesday.

Chasing a distant 372, Dinusha (65) and Keshara Nuwantha (8) were holding the fort for Sri Lanka but the Indians will be hoping to wrap the proceedings at the earliest in the coming session.

Starting from a wobbly 84 for four, the end looked nigh for the home side.

But Dinusha and De Silva (59 off 151 balls), the two overnight batters, added 95 runs off 202 balls to deny the Indians success for well over an hour into the opening session of the day.

Just like the Indian batters, sweep too was the Lankan pair's preferred way to tackle the spinners.

Jadeja looked easily the best Indian spinner on the day, putting his body behind the ball and getting a good amount of purchase from the surface.

Manav Suthar did not bowl too many overs but looked sharp but left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was quite flat, failing to get much out of an abrasive deck and he will surely want to improve upon this effort.

It was quite astounding to watch him rather go through the motions. Operating from around the wicket also snuffed out the leg before option for him.

But amid the mighty push from other Indian bowlers, De Silva reached his fifty in 125 balls and a little later Dinusha, who made a 100 in the first innings, too joined his captain.

However, he brought up the landmark with more flourish, a slog-swept six off Kuldeep.

But Jadeja found a way past the defence of De Silva. The veteran left-arm spinner managed to eke out a bit more bounce and De Silva's top-edged sweep ended in the hands of Suthar at short fine leg.

Niroshan Dickwella, who played a sensible innings in Sri Lanka's first dig, appeared to be in a hurry to knock off the remaining runs.

There were a couple of desperate slog sweeps against Kuldeep and Jadeja before eventually succumbing to pacer Prasidh Krishna.

Dickwella tried to manufacture a shot over covers while giving himself some room off Prasidh, but all he managed was a healthy edge to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.

But Dinusha and Nuwantha managed to see off the next 30 minutes with pluck and luck.