1st Test: Jadeja Takes Five as India Enforce Follow-on against Sri Lanka

Mohali:  After a career-best 175 with the bat, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja bagged a five-wicket haul as India enforced the follow-on against Sri Lanka, dismissing the visitors for 174 all out in 65 overs on day three of the first Test at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium.

Resuming from 108/4 on day two, the start wasn’t rosy for India as Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka frustrated the hosts’ bowling attack.

Moreover, Asalanka and Nissanka were given reprieves in different overs of Ravichandran Ashwin. While Asalanka’s catch was shelved by Rohit Sharma at short cover, Shreyas Iyer at deep mid-wicket couldn’t hold on to the chance given from Nissanka.

Nissanka was troubled by Ashwin but outside of it, the batter fought his way to reach his fifth half-century in Test cricket. Asalanka, despite being bamboozled on several occasions, gave Nissanka good support with boundaries through leg-side off Ashwin.

The 58-run partnership between Nissanka and Asalanka came to an end when Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball from round the wicket deceived the latter, trapping him lbw. Captain Sharma reviewed the original decision to reverse it in India’s favour as replays showed the ball hitting the top of middle-stump.

From there on, Sri Lanka’s batting went downhill as Jadeja ran through the lower order.

Two overs after Asalanka fell, Jadeja struck twice in the same over, taking out Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal by luring them to play rash shots and hole out to square leg and mid-off respectively. But Nissanka continued to march forward with two leg-side boundaries off him.

Mohammed Shami took out Lasith Embuldeniya with a snorter of a bouncer which took the edge off splice of the bat to short leg. Jadeja then got his 10th five-for in Tests by taking out Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara on back-to-back balls, ending Sri Lanka’s shaky stay at 174 and becoming just the sixth player in Test history to score above 150 and take a five-wicket haul in the same match.

Brief Scores: India 574/8 decl in 129.2 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 175 not out, Rishabh Pant 96; Lasith Embuldeniya 2/188, Suranga Lakmal 2/90) lead Sri Lanka 174 all out in 65 overs (Pathum Nissanka 61 not out, Charith Asalanka 29; Ravindra Jadeja 5/41, Jasprit Bumrah 2/36) by 400 runs.

IANS