Rain halts play, India one wicket away from win

Colombo, Aug 24: The umpires were forced to take an early lunch as rain halted play in the morning session on the fifth day of the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval ground here on Monday.

Sri Lanka are batting on 130/9 with India needing just a wicket to level the series. Rangana Herath and Dushmantha Chameera remained unbeaten on 4 and 0 runs respectively. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged figures of 5-42 for the visitors.

The Islanders still need 283 runs with just a wicket in hand.

Resuming the day at 72/2, chasing a massive target of 413 runs, Sri Lanka suffered an early set back as Umesh Yadav struck with the very first ball of the final day inducing an edge from Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews (23). Makeshift wicket-keeper Lokesh Rahul who has replaced injured Wriddhiman Saha in the position took a brilliant catch diving to his right.

Then after a 19-run partnership between Dinesh Chandimal (15) and overnight batsman Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka were jolted again. Chandimal perished trying to sweep leg-spinner Amit Mishra, as the leg-break crashed into his citadel.

With Sri Lanka tottering at 91/4, rival skipper Virat Kohli applied more pressure with a few men clustered around the bat. Lahiru Thirimanne (11) tried to break the shackles by hitting a six and then tried replicating the shot again against Ravichandran Ashwin but only managed to poke it till silly point.

Middle-order bat Jehan Mubarak (0) and Dhammika Prasad (0) soon followed Thirimanne into the pavilion as the hosts were reduced to 114-7.

After adding just nine more runs to the total, Karunaratne (46) who looked well settled went back to hit an arm-ball from Ashwin but the delivery managed to sneak through his bat and pad and crashed onto his stumps.

The last wicket to fall in the first session was that of Tharindu Kaushal as Mishra trapped him leg-before-wicket.