India leave Sri Lanka reeling at 154-5 in first Test

GALLE, Sri Lanka: India’s bowlers tore through the Sri Lankan top order to put the visitors firmly on top on the second day of the first Test in Galle on Thursday.

Paceman Mohammed Shami picked two wickets in the same over and Umesh Yadav got rid of opener Dimuth Karunaratne after India posted a commanding 600 all out, their biggest total in Sri Lanka.

Former captain Angelo Mathews was batting on 54 with Dilruwan Perera on six when stumps were drawn for the day, with Sri Lanka still trailing by 446 runs with five wickets in hand.

Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga struck a defiant 64 off 93 balls but was run out thanks to a quick piece of fielding by Abhinav Mukund.

Mukund, fielding at silly point, also took a fine one-handed catch off Ravichandran Ashwin to send back Niroshan Dickwella (eight) and reduce the hosts to a shaky 143-5.

Yadav gave his side an early breakthrough after the Indian lower-order batsmen scored at a quick pace despite losing wickets at regular intervals.

Shami then dismissed debutant Danushka Gunathilaka for 16 and Kusal Mendis for a duck in the space of four balls.Earlier, paceman Nuwan Pradeep clinched his maiden five-wicket Test haul, putting the brakes on India’s free scoring.

Pradeep (6-132) dismissed Pujara for 153, triggering a batting collapse which saw the tourists lose four wickets in a lively first session after resuming the day at 399-3.Hardik Pandya struck a half-century on debut as India’s last two wickets added a quickfire 83 runs in 71 balls to lift the side from 517 for 8.

India won toss

India 1st innings

S Dhawan c MathewIndia leave Sri Lanka reeling at 154-5 in first Tests b Pradeep     190

A Mukund c Dickwella b Pradeep     12

C Pujara c Dickwella b Pradeep       153

V Kohli c Dickwella b Pradeep         3

A Rahane c Karunaratne b Kumara   57

R Ashwin c Dickwella b Pradeep      47

W Saha c Perera b Herath    16

H Pandya c sub (de Silva) b Kumara 50

R Jadeja b Pradeep    15

M Shami c Tharanga b Kumara        30

U Yadav not out       11

Extras (w6, nb3, lb5, b2)     16

Total (all out; 133.1 overs)  600

Fall: 1-27, 2-280, 3-286, 4-423, 5-432, 6-491, 7-495, 8-517, 9-579, 10-600

Bowling: Pradeep 31-2-132-6, Kumara 25.1-3-131-3, Perera 30-1-130-0, Herath 40-6-159-1, Gunathilaka 7-0-41-0

Sri Lanka 1st innings:

D Karunaratne lbw b Yadav  2

U Tharanga run out   64

D Gunathilaka c Dhawan b Shami     16

A Mendis c Dhawan b Shami 0

A Mathews not out   54

N Dickwella c Mukund b Ashwin       8

D Perera not out       6

Extras (w1, lb3)        4

Total (5 wkts, 44 overs)      154

Still to bat: Gunaratne, Perera, Herath, Pradeep, Kumara

Fall: 1-7, 2-68, 3-68, 4-125, 5-143

Bowling: Shami 9-2-30-2, Yadav 8-1-50-1, Ashwin 18-2-49-1, Jadeja 9-1-22-0

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (England), Bruce Oxenford (Australia)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (Australia)

Match referee: Richie Richardson (West Indies)