The momentum shifted towards the hosts as skipper Angelo Mathews scalped the crucial wicket of set batsman Rohit Sharma who was trapped in front of the wicket. The wicket ended the 52-run stand between him and Lokesh Rahul. Rohit would be disappointed with that dismissal as he was timing the ball really well but unfortunately fell 21 runs short of a ton.
The ball boys came carrying their bats and joined the Sri Lankan team to give a guard of honour to the man of the moment, Sangakkara, making his last appearance on the cricket field.
And while a legendary career drew closer to its end in the host camp, a promising one flourished for the visitors with KL Rahul scoring a century – his second in just the fourth Test, which took India to 319 for 6 at close.
But the day ended on a shocking note for India, who lost Rohit Sharma for 79 as the last play of the day that saw 87.2 overs.
Rohit justified his surprise retention in the eleven with a half-century, but it shouldn’t go without notice that it came at No. 5. Ajinkya Rahane joined the list of India’s failures at No. 3 since Rahul Dravid’s retirement. That appeared more of a sacrifice than experiment.
Murali Vijay, who came in for the ruled-out Shikhar Dhawan, had a forgettable outing. He was removed by Dhammika Prasad off the fourth ball of the Test for a duck. The same bowler ended Rahane’s promotion to No. 3 – caught in the slips for 4.
Harbhajan Singh and Varun Aaron were the two other changes in the India XI, making way for Stuart Binny and Umesh Yadav. That also left a serious question mark over any cricket left in the veteran offspinner’s 103-Test career after a below-par outing at Galle.
Virat Kohli made his presence felt with a 78, adding 164 for the third wicket with Rahul. That, in fact, bettered the 162 Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli added at the same venue in 1993. Coincidentally, that was the year India last won a Test series in Sri Lanka.
Binny’s role as an allrounder failed with the bat. But more uninspiring was the needless loft he attempted off an in-form Rangana Herath to get out for 10 at a crucial stage when India had just lost the centurion Rahul (108), out pulling Dushmantha Chameera.
The fast bowler was the only change for Sri Lanka, who were asked to field, in the absence of hamstrung Nuwan Pradeep.
Herath (2 for 73) and Prasad (2 for 72) remained the most effective bowlers of the day, with the former breaking the crucial Kohli-Rahul stand. Kohli’s wicket, in a way, belonged to skipper Angelo Mathews who pulled off a stunning one-handed effort in the slips.
The pair of Rohit and Wriddhiman Saha seemed to be getting India’s noses slightly in front in the end with a partnership of 53. But the skipper brought himself on with the second new ball to get the important breakthrough of Rohit to turn it into a 50:50 day for both the teams.
