Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara thinks India is still pretty much in the game against Sri Lanka, despite the visitors are just seven-run short from India’s first innings total. Pujara is the top-scorer of India’s innings and he believes India can find a way back into this contest.
“At this stage I think we are very much in the game. Obviously the wicket has got a little better, but at the same time we got to 170-odd runs [172] and we’ve now got four wickets. I think we’re very confident that if the weather permits, we’ll try and make a game out of it,” said Pujara post third day’s game.
The Kolkata deck has been turned into a typical English green top deck, where fast bowlers enjoyed their outings. First, Sri Lanka reduced India to a modest score of 172-all out, but India fought back hard and pulled things back at different stages.
Pujara believes India scored a decent score in Kolkata but a bit more would have helped too. “This is not a wicket where you’d get 350 or 400 on the board. It’s a wicket where we might have added 30-40 runs more, but I think 170 is still a decent total considering the way the wicket was behaving in the first two days,” he added.
India was on top when Sri Lankan innings started and they reduced them to 34/2 but then Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne joined each other at the wicket. They both did a recovery task and put a 99-run stand for the third wicket but again two quick wickets brought India back into the game. However, as the game progressed Sri Lanka cruised towards a first innings lead.
“Today even the weather was much better, there weren’t clouds around. When clouds were around, there was more help for the fast bowlers, [but] when we were fielding the sun was out. The wicket was slightly damp [initially] and now because of sun shine the wicket got a little better, but at the same time there is something for the fast bowlers,” added Pujara.
“But we don’t have enough runs on the board. The way they started off… but we fought back and we’re now very well balanced. Hopefully tomorrow morning our fast bowlers will be fresh, and if we get a couple of wickets, we can run through them,” the 29-year-old concluded.
The rain has spoiled as many as five sessions of this Test and even day three saw an early stumps after bad lights. If India wants to win this game, they have to conclude Lankan innings as soon as possible and score a healthy second innings score, which their bowlers can defend on day five.
