Thrilling test match at Eden
Thrilling test match at Eden
“A thrilling test match at Eden in Kolkata. It ended in an exhilarating draw. Kudos to both the teams and Indian bowlers for taking India to the brink of a win.”
A tame draw!
How about it then. With first two days almost washed out, there were clamours all over that the first India vs Sri Lanka cricket test match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata would end in a tame draw.
The fourth and the fifth day, especially, were contrary to all those clamours. They were also very unlike normal, routine test match days. There may have been test matches which have piqued as much interest but none where the sequence of events was so brisk and fast-paced.
Long, slow and often dull sessions with very little action happening, this is how a normal test match is thought to be. Not at Eden though. Right from the first day itself, the pace of all the four innings was extremely fast. The run scoring, as well as the fall of wickets, kept the crowd at its feet. Add to that the frequent weather interruptions which added another variable to the whole scheme of things.
Lankans thunder under rain and cloud
Dinesh Chandimal won a very important toss that made India bat in extremely unpleasant conditions. The long wait for the innings to start, frequent stoppages, the moisture all around and the swing which the weather exacerbated made life very tough for the Indian batsmen. Despite their best efforts, they tumbled like nine pins. Pujara’s fifty and some contribution from the lower end helped India to within a sighting distance of 200.
By the time Sri Lanka came out to bat, the frequent stoppages had gone and there was even a little bit of sun. Lankans tried making as much hay as they could with Herath playing an innings which, in the hindsight, could be termed match saving. It seemed like weather favoured the visitors. With an important lead of 122, they would have felt fairly confident of their chances of sealing the match.
Clear skies
Weather, just like fate, is fickle. Gloom gave way to clear skies and out came the Indian openers shining brighter than the sun itself. They blazed away from the start and dashed all of Lankan hopes. Kohli, looking for redemption, deflated the rising balloon in the Sri Lankan hearts completely. He played a fluent, masterful knock with wickets constantly falling at the other end.
On the fourth evening, Indian openers had suggested that they would try to make a match out of it. But, by the time India put Lankans to bat, there wasn’t any time left for any possible result except draw.
Or, at least this is what most people thought. For Lankans, it was an impossible target that they had in front. Their only hope was to keep their wickets safe and play out the overs. This is exactly what India needed. Batsmen in defensive mindset playing for time could be a good ploy on a dodo track but not on the lively Eden track. A couple of hungry tigers (including one Bengal tiger) were let loose at the Lankans and they almost completely ripped them apart. Lankans just managed to hang on by the skin of their teeth. Poor light, at the end, ensured that Sri Lanka ended the day at 75 for 7 and the match ended in a thrilling draw.
The test at Nagpur
Both the teams now move to Nagpur for the second test match. India has chosen to rest their stand out bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar and opener Shikar Dhawan. They have brought in Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar into the team. With South Africa tour in mind, the recipe for this series would be pace, swing and bounce. If Indian team cooks well, the dish might well be to the liking of every Indian, not just here at home but even in the rainbow nation.
PS: Many congratulations to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his marriage (23rd Nov 2017).
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