Indian pacers put up fight on Day 5 of Kolkata Test, SL manage to survive
Kolkata, Nov 20 (IBNS): Despite an impeccable effort by the Indian pacers on the final day of the first Test match, Sri Lanka managed to survive and draw the game at the Eden Gardens here on Monday.
Chasing a target of 231 runs, Sri Lanka lost their track upfront just before the tea break. Indian pacers took two early Sri Lankan wickets to throw the visitors into a challenging position.
After the tea, though the Sri Lankans kept on losing few more wickets giving the Indians a smell of a win, captain Dinesh Chandimal's and Niroshan Dickwella's partnership of 47 runs for the fifth wicket helped the visitors to survive in the Test match.
Chandimal and Dickwella scored 20 and 27 respectively but most importantly killed the time of the final day of the match. After their dismissals, two pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami were desperate to take the rest of the wickets.
However, Sri Lankan lower order batsmen tried hard to stay in the match and eventually poor light ensured a draw.
Earlier, boasting on captain Virat Kohli's powerful hundred, India went past 350 mark in the second innings. India declared their innings at 352/8 immediately after Kohli smashed a six to get his 18th Test hundred.
Kohli remained not out at 104.
The first two days of the match were rain-marred.
Bhuvneshawar Kumar has been declared as the man of the match for eight wickets in the match.
In the first innings, India could put up only 172 runs on the board followed by Sri Lanka's 294.
Though Sri Lanka had managed to get a 122 runs lead in the first innings, Indian batting and bowling enabled Virat Kohli and his men to be in an advantageous position towards the end of the match.
The series remains 0-0 after the draw.
India will take on Sri Lanka in the second Test match in Nagpur, scheduled to begin on Nov. 24.
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