Bangalore, India: Half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant combined with inspired bowling on Sunday’s day two-helped India eye a big win in the pink-ball Test against Sri Lanka.
The tourists were 28 for one at stumps while chasing a daunting 447 for victory in Bangalore. Kusal Mendis on 16 and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne on 10 were batting at the close of play.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah trapped Lahiru Thirimanne lbw for naught to take his wickets tally to six in the match before three fans ran on the pitch to get a selfie with Virat Kohli.
India declared their second innings on 303-9 in the final session after Iyer made 67 and Pant smashed a 28-ball 50 — a Test record for an Indian batsman.
Bumrah backed the gameplan of the left-handed Pant who is often criticized for throwing away his wicket after a start.
“Every individual has a different gameplan, so he has backed his strengths,” Bumrah, the team’s vice-captain, said of the swashbuckling batsman.
“Not every player in the team will play with the same tempo, we understand that. He is still getting more and more experience and learning about this game.”
Iyer, who hit 92 in India’s first innings 252, raised his third Test fifty in his fourth match with a cracking boundary.
He put on key partnerships including a 45-run stand with Pant and 63 with Ravindra Jadeja, who made 22, before falling lbw to Lasith Embuldeniya.
Mohammed Shami hit an unbeaten 16 before skipper Rohit Sharma called him back to the pavilion after the fall of Axar Patel.
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