India vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test Day 1: Virat Kohli scored his 20th century at Kotla. (Source: AP)
India were cruising along with just a few overs to be bowled in the opening day of the third Test against Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay stood in the middle – a post they had carried for a significant amount of time. Continuing from their defiant knocks in the previous Test, they had first brought up their centuries and then their 150s with the partnership up to 283 runs. But Vijay pushed too far forward to fall to Sandakan. Ajinkya Rahane followed nine balls later in similar fashion and India’s comfortable position had been diluted ever so slightly. But India’s batting strength and depth allows the management to breathe easy. Rohit Sharma joined in and continued with Kohli to take India to 371/4 at stumps. Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara fell for 23 each.
India vs Sri Lanka, Score and Updates, 3rd Test Day 1:
1635 hrs IST: STUMPS! India are 371/4 at stumps. Rohit Sharma negotiating carefully in the final over of the day. Kohli unbeaten on 156 and Rohit on 6.
1627 hrs IST: STUMPED! Rahane falls this time. Just one run from him in a horror show of a series and India have now lost two wickets in nine balls. Same combination again – Dickwella with the stumping, Sandakan with the bowling. Rahane this series: 4, 0, 2 and 1. Three of the four dismissals to spinners and twice to Shanaka
1620 hrs IST: STUMPED! Murali Vijay is stumped by Dickwella off Sandakan. Having batted just short of six hours, Vijay is done in by the wrong one. Strides forward and fails to get any part of his foot behind the line. Dickwella looked convinced from the start and he is correct.
1616 hrs IST: Kohli joins Vijay with 150 runs. Like Vijay, plays it through covers to pick up three runs. Eighth 150 for Kohli and another 200 looks likely…
1605 hrs IST: 150! Murali Vijay casually strokes the ball through the covers region to pick up a single and bring up his 150. Pitched up, calmly got his front leg out of the way for the single
1552 hrs IST: Single from Kohli and that brings up his 3000th Test run as captain. With that he is the third Indian to reach the milestone – after Sunil Gavaskar and MS Dhoni. Earlier today, Australia’s Steve Smith, too, reached the number. Where Smith took 49 innings for his 3000 Test runs, Kohli has taken one more.
1530 hrs IST: 200 run partnership comes up between the two. What a glorious stand and how good have these two been in this series. Giving away absolutely nothing to the Sri Lankan attack
1458 hrs IST: Sri Lanka review an lbw on Kohli. A loud appeal at that. There is no inside edge on the fair delivery. But it is pitching outside eleg and the on-field decision stays. Review wasted. Not a smart review that. Reminds of Sri Lanka’s odd reviews in the last Test as well.
1447 hrs IST: Earlier Virat Kohli brought up his 5000th Test run and now he has the 20th Test century. First at his home ground! Just a gentle push down the leg side to bring up yet another milestone. His third three figure score in three innings.
1441 hrs IST: Murali Vijay with a gorgeous drive! Plenty of width on offer from Gamage and Vijay is quick to latch on to it. Leans into it and middles it to send the ball cruising towards the square
1411 hrs IST: Tea on day one of Kotla Test! India are 245 for the loss of two wickets. Vijay and Kohli ensure that India do not lose anymore wickets in the second sessions.
1406 hrs IST: HUNDRED! Murali Vijay scores his 11th Test century and second consecutive against Sri Lanka in this series. What a fine innings this has been!
Two consecutive centuries for @mvj888. This is his 11th Test 💯 #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/7igFLIW8ks
— BCCI (@BCCI) 2 December 2017
1355 hrs IST: Vijay into the 90s now. Kohli has not kicked ahead as well. Vijay taking it cautiously now as he looks to reach the three-figure mark
1350 hrs IST: Both batsmen have slowed down a lot. Vijay and Kohli are looking to take India to Tea without amymore wickets. Just the final few overs before Tea
1340 hrs IST: 50 overs bowled in the Indian innings and they are 217 for the loss of two wickets. Vijay is on 85* and Kohli on 82*
1332 hrs IST: Both Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay are now into the 80s. Some fine strokes and they are punishing the Sri Lanka bowling
1326 hrs IST: India bring up their 200! Still a lot of time remaining in the second session so this is a very good so far for India
1310 hrs IST: India’s run-rate has now gone over 4.50 runs per over. Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli scoring runs at will. No problems so far!
1300 hrs IST: Virat Kohli is toying with the Sri Lanka bowling now. He has moved to 63 off 64 balls. Drinks time in the second session
1250 hrs IST: FIFTY! Virat Kohli with two consecutive fours through the offside to reach yet another half-century. He reaches 51* off 52 balls
1245 hrs IST: India have dominated the play in New Delhi so far after the Lunch. Vijay giving more strike to Kohli, who is punishing the Sri Lanka bowlers
1226 hrs IST: Two stunning boundaries for Virat Kohli. Both through the off-side. 5000 Test runs for the Indian captain!
1222 hrs IST: 10 runs from the three overs after Lunch for India. Big session this. India will like to score good amount of runs without losing a wicket while Sri Lanka would like to pick two to three wickets
1211 hrs IST: Players back on the field for the second session of play in New Delhi. Murali Vijay on strike for India
1132 hrs IST: Lunch in Delhi! India would have liked they went to Lunch without losing the two wickets but they have still managed to score some good runs. Vijay is unbeaten on 51 as India reach 116/2
India might rue the two wickets they have lost but will still believe they won the session #INDvSL
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) 2 December 2017
1129 hrs IST: FIFTY! Murali Vijay scores another half-century. What form he is in. A direct-hit from a Sri Lanka fielder in a try to run out Vijay but it hits the stumps and goes to the boundary as five overthrows
1120 hrs IST: 100 up for India. Though they have lost two wickets in this session, India will be happy with the progress so. This is still a good pitch to bat on!
1115 hrs IST: Murali Vijay showing his class here! A brilliant flick off his pads and it goes straight into the midwicket boudary for four!
1107 hrs IST: India captain Virat Kohli is the new man in! He is playing at his home ground. The crowd would love to see a Kohli hundred here!
Pujara will be kicking himself. Was looking very good. But good thinking from Sri Lanka to have a fielder at leg gully.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) 2 December 2017
1104 hrs IST: WICKET! Chesteshwar Pujara is gone! Sri Lanka’s plan works again. They brought in a leg-slip for Pujara and Gamage bowled one on Pujara’s hips. He tried to tuck it away but it goes straight to that fielder. Gone!
1100 hrs IST: Sandakan goes for six runs in his over. Pujara greets him with a four. He also bowls a no-ball in the over. India 78 for 1
1058 hrs IST: Sri Lanka make a bowling change. Sandakan will begin his spell for the day. He will bowl his chinaman to Pujara
1055 hrs IST: 19 overs have been bowled in the Indian innings and they are 72 for the loss of one wicket. The sun is coming out in Delhi and the visibility has improved.
Murali Vijay and Chesteshwar Pujara continue India’s steady progress. India won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in New Delhi and after a steady start, lost the wicket of opener Shikhar Dhawan.
WICKET! Shikhar Dhawan is out! Sri Lanka’s plot to use an off-spinner early has worked. Dhawan tries to sweep him but gets a top edge. The ball flies to fine-leg where he caught.
Toss Update: India won the toss and India captain Virat Kohli elected to bat against Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla
India XI: Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma
Sri Lanka XI: Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage, Sandakan, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva
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