India finished Day 1 on a strong note, ripping through the Lankan batting line after posting 252 in the 1st innings.
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Sixteen wickets fell on the M Chinnaswamy pitch which was offering square turn and uncertain bounce from ball one, and India ended day one in a hugely dominant position. The packed crowd that thronged the stadium would have expected the spin trio of India to get them into a commanding position but instead, it was Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami who took five of the six Sri Lankan wickets to fall, bowling with high pace and skill, and extracting maximum value from a pink ball that swung and seamed just enough under lights to keep threatening both edges of the bat.
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However, the pitch was still a spinner’s dream, but R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were still waiting to fully come into the game at the close of play. Sri Lanka’s spinners, meanwhile, failed entirely to capitalise on the help they were getting, bowling too full or too short and allowing India to score at more than four runs an over on a pitch where they had no business doing so. Shreyas Iyer led the Indian batting charge to a first-innings total of 252, using his feet expertly and putting the spinners under immense pressure over the course of a counterattacking innings of 92.
A quick fire 39 of 26 balls from Rishabh Pant paved the path for Shreyas to attack to the Lankan balling. Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama were quick of the bowlers for the visitors. Each picked up 3 wickets but they failed to maintain a good line and length which resulted in the batters smashing them all over the park.
The visitors might have felt confident after bowling out India for 252, but the formidable pace combination of Bumrah-Shami made sure none of the Lankan batter really set their foot on the crease except for veteran Angelo Mathews, who looked good for his 43. But, Bumrah made sure he had the last laugh by sending him back to the pavilion. At stumps on Day 1, Sri Lanka are struggling at 86/6.
