Virat Kohli achieved another milestone in this match. While batting on 38, he scored 8000 runs in international test cricket. He is the 6th Indian batsman to score 8000 runs in test cricket.
It was a laborious session for Sri Lankan bowlers. They failed to restrict the scoring rate and gave easy scoring opportunities to both batsmen. Capitalising this opportunity, Hanuma Vihari scored a convincing half century and helped India to keep the upper hand in the game.
It was his sixth half-century in Test Cricket. The right-hander played Kumara for a single to fine leg, bringing him to fifty. Meanwhile, Lasith Embuldeniya and Lahiru Kumara have been in fine form for Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, each taking a wicket.
It was an expression of total control and dominance of Indian batsmen. India kept scoring at over 3 runs per over. It is a sign of trouble for the Sri Lankan side. They haven’t succeeded at all in pressuring Virat Kohli and Hanuma Vihari. Constant bowling on the off stump line gave India too many chances to score from cover to the point region.
In the 43rd over, Dhananjaya de Silva dropped an easy catch of Hanuma Vihari at the point. However, even if had caught it, nothing would have changed because there was no ball by Vishwa Fernando. That has been pretty much the case with Sri Lanka throughout the day.
It took a magical bowl to get Virat Kohli out. A flighted delivery by Lasith Embuldeniya that went past Kohli’s bat flicked the stumps. Virat Kohli was taken aback but the young bowler was pumped as he celebrated the crucial breakthrough that Sri Lanka desperately needed.
Hanuma Vihari and Virat Kohli firmly put up a 90 runs partnership which is why they are still ahead in the game. At the end of the session, Hanuma Vihari lost his wicket and Sri Lanka showed a sign of come back.
India: 199/4