How's the weather looking? Galle witnessed a spell of heavy rain earlier this morning, and the covers were taken off after the rain subsided. They have since been put back on, though, with the ground staff expecting another shower. Reminder that play is scheduled to start 15 minutes early today to make up for the time lost yesterday due to rain, with the first ball at 4.15 am GMT (9.45 am IST). Let's hope the weather clears up in time and we get a prompt start to the day.
0.0
Bat once and bat big - That will be the aim for India. First-innings scores have been on the higher side at Galle of late, and it seems to be panning out that way here as well. The second new ball is just 7 overs away, and that will be a window Sri Lanka will need to make count if they are to limit India's total. More than anything, though, they will need to be far more disciplined with the ball than they were on Day 1.
0.0
Looking back at Day 1 - India's 600th Test began on the country's 80th Independence Day, and they marked the occasion with a dominant effort. Having won the toss, which is looking increasingly crucial given the conditions, India barely put a foot wrong yesterday, led by Devdutt Padikkal's maiden Test ton. The ball turned from the first session and the amount of turn increased as the day went on, but Sri Lanka's inconsistency in hitting the right areas meant they could not make the most of it.
0.0
Back for more - Hello and welcome, folks. Settle in for what promises to be an intriguing day of Test cricket, and let's hope the weather plays ball. Saturday belonged to India, but the beauty of this format is that it gives you a chance to fight your way back, just as in life. Sri Lanka will take the field hoping to conjure a comeback and make Sunday theirs.
0.0
... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...
0.0
Wrapping up - That brings us to the end of a long opening day in Galle, with India firmly in control and Sri Lanka facing a big task to find a way back into the contest. With plenty of time lost to rain, we will have an early start on Day 2 at 4.15 am GMT (9.45 am IST). Do join us early for all the build-up before another big day of Test cricket gets underway. Cheers!
0.0
A century to remember - India had a few twists to deal with in the final session, with KL Rahul forced to retire hurt on 77 after cramping up before facing a ball and Shubman Gill departing after a fluent 16, falling to Prabath Jayasuriya. Padikkal, though, kept his composure through a couple of nervy moments on 98 and 99 to complete a memorable maiden Test hundred. With the ball beginning to turn more, debutant Keshara Nuwantha showed enough to keep things interesting, but Pant was in no mood to sit back, taking the attack on alongside the centurion. The pair added 52 before bad light brought an end to play, leaving India in a commanding position and Sri Lanka still searching for that elusive breakthrough.
0.0
Padikkal and Rahul tighten the screws - The second session was every bit as productive for India, although rain ensured it did not begin until more than an hour later. Once play resumed, KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal picked up where they had left off, showing tremendous composure even as the surface began offering a hint of turn. Both batters brought up well-deserved fifties, with Padikkal particularly fluent, and the partnership continued to grow to 150. Sri Lanka simply could not find the breakthrough they needed, with a few edges also failing to carry to the fielders, as India marched to 197/1 by Tea and firmly seized control of the opening day.
0.0
The openers lay the foundation - India made an emphatic start to their historic 600th Test, taking the opening session firmly by the scruff of the neck. After choosing to bat, the visitors raced along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looking comfortable, before an unfortunate run out ended Jaiswal’s stay for 32. That barely slowed India down, though, as Devdutt Padikkal joined Rahul and the pair settled in beautifully. Sri Lanka struggled to find the consistency needed to create pressure, and India went into lunch at 101/1, with Rahul and Padikkal unbeaten on 32 and 35 respectively.
0.0
India dominate opening day - India enjoyed a hugely encouraging opening day in Galle, gradually taking a firm grip on the contest and leaving Sri Lanka with plenty of questions to answer. Despite the rain interruptions and a few moments when the surface offered something to the bowlers, the visitors remained composed and kept the scoreboard moving throughout. Sri Lanka struggled to build any sustained pressure, while India’s batting depth and control ensured they finished the day in an imposing position at 288/2. With plenty of time still left in the Test, the hosts already have a mountain to climb.
0.0
12.30 pm GMT (6 pm IST) - STUMPS, DAY 1 - The umpires have had a discussion and decided that the light is no longer good enough for play to continue. They have therefore called Stumps due to bad light, with the reading taken at this point set to serve as the reference mark for the remaining days of the Test.
72.6
Flighted delivery, on middle. Rishabh Pant uses his feet and knocks it to long on for a single.
72.5
Flat and short, around off. Pant stays in the crease and stabs it down.
72.4
Shorter now, on middle. Padikkal hangs back and wrists it to the left of mid-wicket for another single.
72.3
With this single, the 50-run stand comes up. Full and drifting in from around the wicket, Pant steps out and gets to the pitch of the ball. Nudges it wide of mid-wicket and crosses over.
72.2
Speared in at the toes. Devdutt clips it through square leg and rotates the strike.
72.1
This is pushed through, full and on middle. Padikkal presents a straight bat for the block.
71.6
Well, well. Out comes the bumper from Dhananjaya de Silva out of nowhere, on off. Padikkal adjusts as he gets his hands high and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.
0.0
The light is starting to fade away now.
71.5
Closer to the off stump, stays full. DDP eases it back to the bowler.
71.4
This is slowed down, full and wide on off. Padikkal tries to drive it through the off side but miscues it back to the bowler.
71.3
FOUR! Hammered. Dhananjaya drops it short, on off. Padikkal is quick to pick up the length and presses back before unleashing the pull to the left of mid-wicket for a boundary.
71.2
Tosses it up, on off. Padikkal lunges and plays it to the right of the bowler.
71.1
Speared in from around the wicket, on the shorter side. Pant turns it off the back foot through square leg for one.
70.6
Drags the length back now, on off. Padikkal stabs it down the deck.
70.5
Full and spinning away, on off. Padikkal gets forward to smother the spin. It goes off the outer half to backward point.
70.4
Too full and down leg. Padikkal gets down on a knee and makes use of the angle to play the fine sweep. It dribbles towards deep fine leg, where Lahiru Kumara tidies up. Two taken.
70.3
Floated up, on off, that is defended solidly off the front foot.
70.2
Shorter and on middle. Pant gets down on a knee and gets inside the line to shovel it to deep backward square leg. They cross.
70.1
Beaten! Drifting in, on a good length, on off before spinning away. Pant gets half-forward but is beaten past the outside edge.
IND
How's the weather looking? Galle witnessed a spell of heavy rain earlier this morning, and the covers were taken off after the rain subsided. They have since been put back on, though, with the ground staff expecting another shower. Reminder that play is scheduled to start 15 minutes early today to make up for the time lost yesterday due to rain, with the first ball at 4.15 am GMT (9.45 am IST). Let's hope the weather clears up in time and we get a prompt start to the day.
Bat once and bat big - That will be the aim for India. First-innings scores have been on the higher side at Galle of late, and it seems to be panning out that way here as well. The second new ball is just 7 overs away, and that will be a window Sri Lanka will need to make count if they are to limit India's total. More than anything, though, they will need to be far more disciplined with the ball than they were on Day 1.
Looking back at Day 1 - India's 600th Test began on the country's 80th Independence Day, and they marked the occasion with a dominant effort. Having won the toss, which is looking increasingly crucial given the conditions, India barely put a foot wrong yesterday, led by Devdutt Padikkal's maiden Test ton. The ball turned from the first session and the amount of turn increased as the day went on, but Sri Lanka's inconsistency in hitting the right areas meant they could not make the most of it.
Back for more - Hello and welcome, folks. Settle in for what promises to be an intriguing day of Test cricket, and let's hope the weather plays ball. Saturday belonged to India, but the beauty of this format is that it gives you a chance to fight your way back, just as in life. Sri Lanka will take the field hoping to conjure a comeback and make Sunday theirs.
... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...
Wrapping up - That brings us to the end of a long opening day in Galle, with India firmly in control and Sri Lanka facing a big task to find a way back into the contest. With plenty of time lost to rain, we will have an early start on Day 2 at 4.15 am GMT (9.45 am IST). Do join us early for all the build-up before another big day of Test cricket gets underway. Cheers!
A century to remember - India had a few twists to deal with in the final session, with KL Rahul forced to retire hurt on 77 after cramping up before facing a ball and Shubman Gill departing after a fluent 16, falling to Prabath Jayasuriya. Padikkal, though, kept his composure through a couple of nervy moments on 98 and 99 to complete a memorable maiden Test hundred. With the ball beginning to turn more, debutant Keshara Nuwantha showed enough to keep things interesting, but Pant was in no mood to sit back, taking the attack on alongside the centurion. The pair added 52 before bad light brought an end to play, leaving India in a commanding position and Sri Lanka still searching for that elusive breakthrough.
Padikkal and Rahul tighten the screws - The second session was every bit as productive for India, although rain ensured it did not begin until more than an hour later. Once play resumed, KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal picked up where they had left off, showing tremendous composure even as the surface began offering a hint of turn. Both batters brought up well-deserved fifties, with Padikkal particularly fluent, and the partnership continued to grow to 150. Sri Lanka simply could not find the breakthrough they needed, with a few edges also failing to carry to the fielders, as India marched to 197/1 by Tea and firmly seized control of the opening day.
The openers lay the foundation - India made an emphatic start to their historic 600th Test, taking the opening session firmly by the scruff of the neck. After choosing to bat, the visitors raced along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looking comfortable, before an unfortunate run out ended Jaiswal’s stay for 32. That barely slowed India down, though, as Devdutt Padikkal joined Rahul and the pair settled in beautifully. Sri Lanka struggled to find the consistency needed to create pressure, and India went into lunch at 101/1, with Rahul and Padikkal unbeaten on 32 and 35 respectively.
India dominate opening day - India enjoyed a hugely encouraging opening day in Galle, gradually taking a firm grip on the contest and leaving Sri Lanka with plenty of questions to answer. Despite the rain interruptions and a few moments when the surface offered something to the bowlers, the visitors remained composed and kept the scoreboard moving throughout. Sri Lanka struggled to build any sustained pressure, while India’s batting depth and control ensured they finished the day in an imposing position at 288/2. With plenty of time still left in the Test, the hosts already have a mountain to climb.
12.30 pm GMT (6 pm IST) - STUMPS, DAY 1 - The umpires have had a discussion and decided that the light is no longer good enough for play to continue. They have therefore called Stumps due to bad light, with the reading taken at this point set to serve as the reference mark for the remaining days of the Test.
Flighted delivery, on middle. Rishabh Pant uses his feet and knocks it to long on for a single.
Flat and short, around off. Pant stays in the crease and stabs it down.
Shorter now, on middle. Padikkal hangs back and wrists it to the left of mid-wicket for another single.
With this single, the 50-run stand comes up. Full and drifting in from around the wicket, Pant steps out and gets to the pitch of the ball. Nudges it wide of mid-wicket and crosses over.
Speared in at the toes. Devdutt clips it through square leg and rotates the strike.
This is pushed through, full and on middle. Padikkal presents a straight bat for the block.
Well, well. Out comes the bumper from Dhananjaya de Silva out of nowhere, on off. Padikkal adjusts as he gets his hands high and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.
The light is starting to fade away now.
Closer to the off stump, stays full. DDP eases it back to the bowler.
This is slowed down, full and wide on off. Padikkal tries to drive it through the off side but miscues it back to the bowler.
FOUR! Hammered. Dhananjaya drops it short, on off. Padikkal is quick to pick up the length and presses back before unleashing the pull to the left of mid-wicket for a boundary.
Tosses it up, on off. Padikkal lunges and plays it to the right of the bowler.
Speared in from around the wicket, on the shorter side. Pant turns it off the back foot through square leg for one.
Drags the length back now, on off. Padikkal stabs it down the deck.
Full and spinning away, on off. Padikkal gets forward to smother the spin. It goes off the outer half to backward point.
Too full and down leg. Padikkal gets down on a knee and makes use of the angle to play the fine sweep. It dribbles towards deep fine leg, where Lahiru Kumara tidies up. Two taken.
Floated up, on off, that is defended solidly off the front foot.
Shorter and on middle. Pant gets down on a knee and gets inside the line to shovel it to deep backward square leg. They cross.
Beaten! Drifting in, on a good length, on off before spinning away. Pant gets half-forward but is beaten past the outside edge.