Sri Lanka vs India 2017: 2nd Test day 3, 5 talking points
India dumped Sri Lanka for 183 in the first innings courtesy another fifer from Ravichandran Ashwin but following on, Sri Lanka appeared more determined and willing to fight it out as Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne put on a 191-run stand for the second wicket. Mendis, who made 110, fell to Hardik Pandya late in the day to give India some respite but all in all it was a mixed day for the hosts.
That they are all but out of this contest is for sure, but Lanka have a reputation to keep up, which is that of a top tier Test nation, and this kind of performance atleast once in a while is necessary to reinstate that belief.
Brief Scores: India 622, Sri Lanka 183 & 209/2 (Mendis 110, Karunaratne 92*)
Here are the talking points of the day from SSC.
#5 Lanka try the counter-attacking tactic
A frustrated Sri Lankan batting line-up, clueless against the guile of Ashwin and Jadeja on a quickly deteriorating wicket, tried to change their approach and went the counter-attacking way.
Mathews launched Jadeja over mid-on and mid-off in the same over to establish his intentions shortly after Niroshan Dickwella had smashed Ashwin in a similar manner.
But with 622 on the board, the spinners had more than enough freedom to still toss the ball up and did exactly that. Mathews fell soon after to a stunning grab by Cheteshwar Pujara at leg slip and Dhananjaya de Silva followed with a golden duck off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja.