India moved to 475 for eight at tea on day two of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka after rain forced an early break on Monday.
Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten on 95 and shared important partnerships with Rishabh Pant and Manav Suthar. Mohammed Siraj was with him on nought when rain brought the middle session to an early close.
India lost Pant for 63 soon after play resumed. Pant had added 112 runs with Jurel for the sixth wicket before he was caught by Lahiru Udara off Keshara Nuwantha.
Jurel then found a steady partner in Suthar. The pair added 54 runs for the eighth wicket before Prabath Jayasuriya dismissed Suthar for 18.
Jurel’s innings was a major positive for India. He has now scored his second fifty in as many Tests after failing to make a fifty-plus score in his previous eight innings.
Earlier, Pant was the main feature of the first session. He returned to the crease after retiring hurt on three on the previous evening following a blow to his forearm from Lahiru Kumara.
There were concerns about Pant’s fitness when he resumed his innings. However, he stayed at the crease for nearly two hours and batted with confidence against the Sri Lankan attack.
Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers tested Pant with repeated short balls. Asitha Fernando also struck him on the shoulder during the spell.
Pant handled the challenge well. He moved away from the ball when needed and also scored runs by guiding deliveries around the field.
He produced one of the attacking moments of the session when he moved inside the line and hooked Kumara over fine leg for six. Pant had earlier made 66 in India’s second innings at Galle.
Pant reached his fifty from 81 balls with a pulled four against off-spinner Nuwantha. He then marked the milestone with a six off Jayasuriya.
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Jurel also reached his fifty with a controlled innings. He took 97 balls to reach the mark and remained composed despite a close leg-before-wicket appeal from Jayasuriya.
India were 307 for six when Fernando dismissed debutant Saransh Jain for six. The visitors then relied on Pant and Jurel to build their total and strengthen their position.
Jayasuriya later removed Suthar after the left-arm spinner induced a thick edge to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Jurel continued to hold the innings together as rain stopped play before tea.
India will look to add more runs when play resumes. Jurel remains nine runs short of a century, while Siraj is yet to score.
