Ind vs SL Test: Dickwella, Dinusha Hit 50s As Sri Lanka Fight Back on Day 3
Their unbroken 125-run stand for the sixth wicket steadied the Sri Lankan innings after India had reduced them to 99-5 at lunch
Galle: Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella struck half-centuries Monday as Sri Lanka recovered to post 215-5 at tea on day three in the first Test against India in Galle.
Sri Lanka trail by 247 runs with five wickets in hand, with Dickwella batting on 72 and Dinusha on 62.
Their unbroken 125-run stand for the sixth wicket steadied the Sri Lankan innings after India had reduced them to 99-5 at lunch.
Dinusha, a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket but playing just his fourth Test, brought up his second half-century in the five-day format.
Dickwella, brought back into the side after more than three years, took his chances, sweeping the spinners well and posting his 23rd half-century in Tests.
India's spinners troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen in the morning session with five quick wickets on a pitch that offered them plenty of assistance.
But once the ball got softer, batting became easier and the slow bowlers were rendered ineffective.
India were earlier bowled out after adding just two to their overnight score of 460-9.
Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 while Rahul and Dhruv Jurel hit half-centuries.
Scorecard:
India 1st Innings: 462 in 116.4 overs
Sri Lanka 1st Innings:
Nishan Fernando c Padikkal b Mohammed Siraj 0
Lahiru Udara c Jaiswal b Suthar 27
Dinesh Chandimal c Pant b Suthar 4
Kamindu Mendis c Shubman Gill b Kuldeep Yadav 14
Dhananjaya de Silva c Rahul b Jadeja 21
Sonal Dinusha batting 62
Niroshan Dickwella batting 72
Extras: (B-8, LB-2, NB-3, W-2) 15
Total: (For 5 wickets, 57 overs) 215
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-27, 3-53, 4-59, 5-90.
Bowling: Mohammed Siraj 9-3-29-1, Prasidh Krishna 9-0-36-0, Manav Suthar 15-1-53-2, Kuldeep Yadav 12-0-51-1, Ravindra Jadeja 12-1-36-1.
