Sri Lanka stumble to 108/4 after Jadeja's 175* takes India to 574/8 on Day 2 of 1st IND vs SL 2022 Test

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja scored an unbeaten 175 as India declared their first innings against Sri Lanka in Mohali at 574/8 on Day 2. The southpaw faced 228 balls and hit 17 fours and three sixes during his aggressive knock.

Responding to India’s mammoth first-innings score, Sri Lanka were in trouble at 108/4 at Stumps. Pathum Nissanka was unbeaten on 26 and Charith Asalanka on 1. Lanka trail India by a mammoth 466 runs with six wickets in hand.

The visitors got off to a defiant start as their openers added 48. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/21) broke the stubborn stand by trapping Lahiru Thirimanne (17) leg-before with a length ball that kept sliding in with the arm. The opener was beaten by the off-spinner’s variation and even a review could not save him.

Jadeja then made his day even more memorable by sending back Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne for 28. The left-arm spinner got a length ball to turn viciously from outside off and struck the batter on the pads. Karunaratne went for a review but the decision stood as replays showed the ball crashing into leg stump.

India could have had a third Sri Lankan wicket in the form of Nissanka in the 32nd over of the innings. Jasprit Bumrah cleaned up the batter with a well-disguised slower ball but it did not count as he had overstepped. The pacer, however, made amends by trapping Angelo Mathews lbw for 22. The experienced Sri Lankan batter was squared by a short-of-a-length delivery. He took the review, but the decision remained ‘out’ on umpire’s call.

Ashwin returned towards the end of the day to claim India’s fourth lbw of the innings. Dhananjaya de Silva (1) went for a premeditated sweep but completely missed a full straight delivery and was hit in front of the stumps.

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Jadeja leads India’s domination of Sri Lankan bowlers

Earlier, the hosts resumed their innings at 357/6 and continued their domination of the Sri Lankan attack. Jadeja featured in a seventh-wicket stand of 130 with Ravichandran Ashwin (61) and an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 103 with Mohammed Shami (20*). The left-hander was 25 short of a double hundred when Rohit Sharma decided to declare the innings towards the end of the second session.

Jadeja and Ashwin looked in no trouble at all as India eased past the 400-mark. The latter brought up an impressive fifty off 67 balls by placing Dhananjaya de Silva for a single in the covers. He was dismissed just before lunch, top-edging a pull off Suranga Lakmal to the keeper. Jadeja brought up his hundred just before the break, opening the face and taking a single off Lasith Embuldeniya.

Jayant Yadav (2) fell immediately after lunch, nicking Vishwa Fernando to first slip. However, there was no respite for the Lankan bowlers thereafter. Jadeja went berserk and whacked Embuldeniya for 6, 4, 4 in the 121st over as India crossed the 500-mark in style. The left-hander brought up his 150 in commanding fashion, launching Dhananjaya de Silva over long-off for a maximum. The stroke also brought up the 50-run stand, with Shami’s contribution being 0.

India declared their innings after 129.2 overs. While Jadeja could not reach his 200, he did break the record for the highest score by an Indian coming in to bat at No. 7 or below in Test cricket. The previous record was held by Kapil Dev, who hit 163 against Sri Lanka in Kanpur in December 1986 while batting at No. 7.