Mohali: Ravindra Jadeja's career-best 175 was the centerpiece of another strong show by India's batting before the bowlers took four wickets to help the hosts in extending their stronghold over Sri Lanka on day two of the first Test at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Saturday.
After Jadeja's enthralling show propelled India to declare at a mammoth 574/8, the bowlers made inroads into Sri Lanka's innings, leaving them at 108/4 in 43 overs, trailing by 466 runs.
Earlier, the day was all about Jadeja, who reached his second Test hundred and extended that to a dominating 175. He began the day by raising his half-century with a back-foot drive slapped through cover for a boundary off Suranga Lakmal. Whenever the bowlers gave width, Jadeja was quick to pounce on them and send the ball to the boundary rope. When they tried to shift from width to straight lines, it was all too straight for Jadeja to easily swat through the leg-side.
Ashwin, on the other hand, took his time before he got going with boundaries through point and cover off Vishwa Fernando. Jadeja and Ashwin were in cruise mode, unperturbed by a bowling attack that didn't have the services of an injured Lahiru Kumara for the rest of the match. Ashwin continued to drive with finesse and reached his 12th Test fifty with a single through covers.
Jadeja and Ashwin put 130 runs for the seventh wicket as India began to bury Sri Lanka under a heap of runs. After pulling Lakmal through mid-wicket, Ashwin tried to pull again. But Lakmal, coming from around the wicket, cramped him for room and the ball took a faint top-edge to keeper Niroshan Dickwella.
Brief scores: India 574/8 dec in 129.2 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 175 not out, Rishabh Pant 96; Lasith Embuldeniya 2/188, Suranga Lakmal 2/90) lead Sri Lanka 108/4 in 43 overs (Dimuth Karunaratne 28, Pathum Nissanka 26 not out; Ravichandran Ashwin 2/21, Jasprit Bumrah 1/20) by 466 runs.
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