Skipper Virat Kohli hit a blistering double century to hand India a massive first innings lead of 405 as the hosts tightened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka on day three on Sunday. India declared on 610-6 after Rohit Sharma (102) had completed his hundred, as they seek to go one up in the three-match series. The visitors were in early trouble on 21 for one at stumps in Nagpur, still trailing India by 384 runs.
Dimuth Karunaratne, on 11, and Lahiru Thirimanne, on 9, were at the crease after paceman Ishant Sharma bowled Sadeera Samarawickrama for 0 with the second ball of the innings. The day belonged to Kohli, who hit a majestic 213 before falling to off-spinner Dilruwan Perera. He walked off to a standing ovation from a raucous crowd. Kohli, who started the day on 54, smashed 17 fours and two sixes during his 267-ball knock.
"He is a kind of player who performs well in all formats of the game," Cheteshwar Pujara, who shared a 183-run third-wicket partnership with Kohli, said of his captain. "I think it's his confidence. And the way he is batting in the last two-three years, it would have been difficult for any other batsman to score with such a strike rate," Pujara told reporters. It was the star batsman's fifth 200-plus score in his 62nd Test. He has also achieved double centuries against the West Indies, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh.
After the third-wicket marathon partnership, Kohli and Rohit Sharma put on 173 for the fifth wicket to pulverise a deflated Sri Lanka attack that sent down 176.1 overs in about six sessions of play. Kohli received able support from Sharma, who reached his 50 before tea and then stepped up a gear to amass runs all around the ground and register his third Test hundred. Kohli's earlier marathon stand stand with his overnight partner Pujara, who made a composed 143, had taken the steam out of the attack.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka 1st innings 205 (D. Chandimal 57, D. Karunaratne 51; R. Ashwin 4-67)
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India 1st innings (overnight 312-2)
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L. Rahul b Gamage 7
M. Vijay c Perera b Herath 128
C. Pujara b Shanaka 143
V. Kohli c Thirimanne b Perera 213
A. Rahane c Karunaratne b Perera 2
R. Sharma not out 102
R. Ashwin b Perera 5
W. Saha not out 1
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Extras: (b4, lb4, w1) 9
Total: (6 wkts dec, 176.1 overs) 610
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Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Rahul), 2-216 (Vijay), 3-399 (Pujara), 4-410 (Rahane), 5-583 (Kohli), 6-597 (Ashwin)
Did not bat: R. Jadeja, U. Yadav, I. Sharma
Bowling: Lakmal 29-2-111-0, Gamage 35-8-97-1, Herath 39-11-81-1, Shanaka 26.1-4-103-1, Perera 45-2-202-3, Karunaratne 2-0-8-0
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Sri Lanka 2nd innings
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S. Samarawickrama b Sharma 0
D. Karunaratne not out 11
L. Thirimanne not out 9
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Extras: (lb1) 1
Total: (1 wicket, 9 overs) 21
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Fall of wicket: 1-0 (Samarawickrama)
Still to bat: A. Mathews, D. Chandimal, N. Dickwella, D. Shanaka, D. Perera, R. Herath, S. Lakmal, L. Gamage
Bowling: Sharma 4-1-15-1, Ashwin 4-3-5-0, Jadeja 1-1-0-0
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG), Joel Wilson (WIS)
TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)
Match referee: David Boon (AUS).
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