IMAGE: India’s openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal during Day 3 of the Warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo on Sunday. Photograph: BCCI/X
Key Points
- Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed 61 from 46 balls to give India a quickfire start in the second innings.
- Mohammed Siraj hammered four sixes in his 15-ball 32 to power India to victory.
- India will take on Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle from August 15.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal blasted a quickfire 61 from 46 balls before Mohammed Siraj starred with a match-winning cameo with the bat to power India to a six-wicket victory against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in the warm-up match at Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo, on Sunday.
Siraj smashed three consecutive sixes and a four off spinner Keshava Nuwantha in the final over of the day to give India a thrilling victory.
Interestingly, India batted out the last two balls of the final over even after achieving the victory target as Siraj finished unbeaten on 32 from 15 balls.
Jaiswal and Shubman Gill laid the foundation for India’s victory, putting 100 runs for the opening wicket from just 15 overs.
Jaiswal retired soon after getting to his fifty to allow his other team-mates get some batting practice ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
IMAGE: Mohammed Siraj celebrates with Saransh Jain after guiding India to victory. Photograph: BCCI/X
Captain Gill stroked 44 before he was dismissed by spinner Keshara Nuwantha caught at short thirdman off the outside edge, while Dhruv Jurel was dismissed by Vishwa Fernando for 17.
Rishabh Pant showed a lot of restraint to score a patient 28 from 68 balls with three fours and a six, while Ravindra Jadeja made 22 before he also retired to let the lower order batters get some time out in the middle.
India were set 207 for victory in a minimum of 45 overs after Sri Lanka XI declared their second innings on 200/6 in 45 overs at the end of the second innings on Day 3.
Jaiswal, who fell for a duck in the first innings, went on the attack right from the start hitting boundaries regularly. He brought up his fifty in style, hitting off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha for a four in the 15th over before he hit the bowler for a four and a six in the same over.
Opener Nishan Madushka smashed his second fifty of the match but India’s bowlers chipped away at the wickets in the second session.
IMAGE: Ravindra Jadeja celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka Cricket XI’s Anjala Bandra on Day 3 of the Warm-up match in Colombo on Sunday. Photograph: BCCI/X
Madushka once again went after the Indian bowlers, hitting 63 from 73 balls with 10 fours, before he retired at lunch to give his other team-mates a chance to have a bat. For India, Ravindra Jadeja (2/33) and Gurnoor Brar (2/37) picked up two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna claimed one wicket apiece.
Wicketkeeper Anjala Bandra made 35, while Nipun Dhananjaya stroked 46 to take Sri Lanka to the 200-run mark.
Earlier, India declared on their overnight score of 357/6 ahead of start of play before their pacers claimed early wickets.
With the ball, India made a good start with a couple of early wickets in Sri Lanka XI’s second innings. Siraj trapped Ravindu Rasantha leg before wicket with the incoming delivery for eight in the fifth over.
Prasidh Krishna struck a few overs later as he cleaned up Pasindu Sooriyabandara for four with a cracking inswinger.
Gurnoor Brar got the wicket of Pavan Rathnayake for 16, while Auqib Nabi went wicketless in five overs bowled in the first session after being introduced as first change.
IMAGE: Mohammed Siraj celebrates with team-mates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka Cricket XI’s Ravindu Rasantha. Photograph: BCCI/X
Ravindra Jadeja got his first wicket when he got Anjala Bandra caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at slip for 35 in the 33rd over.
Brar boosted his chances of making it to the playing XI for the first Test starting on August 15 when he claimed his second wicket, getting Sonal Dinusha caught by Jurel for nine.
Sri Lanka Cricket XI had declared their first innings on 363/8 on Day 1 as both teams opted to bat out the full 90 overs on the first two days.
Devdutt Padikkal finished unbeaten on 142, having stroked 18 fours in his superb 164-ball knock to lead India’s strong reply with the bat on the second day.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, back in the Indian team, contributed with a vital 63 as he added 72 for the third wicket with Padikkal. Spinner Manav Suthar also showed his utility with the bat, scoring 41 as he and Jadeja put on 76 for the sixth wicket.
India’s top batters failed to make it count as Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a duck in the first over, while Rishabh Pant (2) and Dhruv Jurel (1) also perished cheaply.
Pacers Strike Early On Day 3
IMAGE: Prasidh Krishna celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Pasindu Sooriyabandara on Day 3. Photograph: BCCI/X
Saransh Jain (22) and Gurnoor Brar (36 not out) played some handy knocks lower down the order to help India get past 350.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka Cricket XI: 57-2 in 15 overs (N Madushka 33) and 363-8 dec.
India: 357-6 dec (D Padikkal 142, R Jadeja 63, M Suthar 41, G Brar 36).