Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with teammates after taking his fifth wicket of Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella during the second day of the second Test in Bengaluru on Sunday. (AP/Aijaz Rahi)
India vs Sri Lanka: Hosts turn the screw to assume total control
Beyond a point, it seemed depressingly pointless. As if India’s only motivation to bat on was prolonging Sri Lanka’s agony. It was still the second day of the Test and India could have batted on for at least a couple more days had they wanted to, but were so far ahead in the match that batting on seemed meaningless in the context of the result.
By the time India’s lead had crossed 350, at the stroke of the dinner break, propelled by Rishabh Pant’s 50, the visitors were already dead horses being flogged. Half an hour into the session, India lost Shreyas Iyer for 67, lest they could say they were waiting for his hundred. But a declaration did not arrive, until the ninth wicket fell, with the score on 303/9, the lead now swelled to 446 runs. Barring a miracle on the Eden Gardens 2001-scale, the hosts had sewn the match long ago. [Read more]