India reduced to 119/4 at lunch

Colombo, Aug 29:

India reached 119/4 at lunch on the second day of the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) here on Saturday.

Opening batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 55 when lunch was called after the dismissal of Rohit Sharma (26) by pacer Dhamik Prasad.

India managed to score only 69 runs in 30.5 overs in the session, losing two crucial wickets in the process.

After rain washed out a major part of the first day’s action on Friday, India began at their overnight score of 50/2 only to lose skipper Virat Kohli (18) and No.5 batsman Rohit Sharma.

Kohli was dismissed by Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews who induced an edge from him to be caught by wicketkeeper Kushal Perera. He was sent to the pavilion fairly quickly, in the ninth over of the innings, as Kohli, after a 50-run third wicket partnership with Pujara, flashed at a wide delivery outside his off stump to give an easy chance behind the stumps.

Rohit joined Pujara and they batted with caution, circumspect of the moving delivery.

Pujara grew in confidence as his duration at the crease increased and reached his fifty in the 43rd over. He batted patiently to negotiate the early morning bowling venom of the hosts.

He and Rohit put together a 55-run third wicket stand but their efforts was undone just at the stroke of lunch when the latter edged a moving ball to the first slip. (IANS)