By: Tarish Bhatt
One bad session, just one bad session, cost India the 1st Test. India provided the proverbial first session to Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the Galle Test, and slumped to a shocking defeat to go down 1-0 in the three-match series.
It was all Team India in the first three days of the Test match, with Virat Kohli and company outclassing Sri Lanka in every department. It looked like Sri Lanka would be heading toward a thumping, but they managed to turn the tide.
“What a wonderful comeback,” Rangana Herath said. “Getting out for 183, we had a bad time in the first innings but we recovered well. Chandimal and his partnerships. What I thought is I need to give my best. I gave my 100 percent, that is why I succeeded I guess.”
Dinesh Chandimal inspired Sri Lanka on the third day, when he struck a brilliant century, while also knotting the innings together. Having nothing to lose, Chandimal took the attack off India, and well didn’t it pay the dividend?
Key contributions from Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thiramanne and Jehan Mubarak helped Sri Lanka reach a fighting total in the 2nd innings, and on a fourth day Galle pitch defending 176 wasn’t an impossible task.
India lost wickets in tandem, as none of the batsmen managed to put a fight in front of Rangana Herath, who spun his web to ensure an incredible turnaround for Sri Lanka.
Six wickets fell in the morning session, add the wicket of KL Rahul, who dismissed on the third day, India were looking down the barrel, despite having Ajinkya Rahane in the middle.
India let Sri Lanka walkover them in the first 28 overs, and there was nothing much they could have done after that, as chances of adding another, almost 100 runs on the score was looking very tough, after the first session.
“Even last evening I had a chat with our spin coach,” Rangana Herath said. “We did realise something. That is the reason for this success. I am carrying bit of an injury as well. My knees are a bit sore.”
“But you have to give 100 percent when you are playing for your country. Even at 37 I am competing with the younger guys. Before the fourth innings, what the captain said was this can be a turnaround game.”
