Dhananjaya de Silva compiled a brilliant hundred AFP
Sri Lanka displayed strong resilience with Dhananjaya de Silva continuing to play the protagonist in the second session of the final day. While becoming only the ninth Sri Lankan batsman to score a hundred in the fourth innings of a Test, de Silva made sure that he extended his team's fight even when India kept coming hard at the visitors. However, the session was dampened when de Silva had to retire hurt following a long battle with cramps on Wednesday (December 6). Despite the centurion going back to pavilion, Sri Lanka have assured themselves of much authority and to lose not more than two wickets in two sessions has been exemplary enough. Sri Lanka went into Tea on 226 for 5, with debutant Roshen Silva showing great grit and Niroshan Dickwella having just arrived at the crease.
The afternoon started with de Silva using his feet for the umpteenth time against the spinners, heaving an in-form Ravindra Jadeja for a boundary off the first ball. While the odd one turned and bounced a little more than usual, de Silva's decisive use of the feet made sure that Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja were made to think harder than usual on a Day 5 wicket at home. As well as he came down the wicket to play the big shot, he used the depth of the crease and the sweep shot well to keep the spinners at bay. The pacers didn't find much assistance and the altering lengths did little to trouble the pair of Dinesh Chandimal and de Silva.
The duo brought up the hundred of their partnership in the 51st over and looked settled to play out a long passage of play. However, Chandimal in an attempt to emulate de Silva's prowess of using the feet, failed against a sharp turner from Ashwin that dipped and turned to go through the gates of the big swish across the line. The skipper was dismissed for 36 with the partnership ending on 112.
Debutant Silva didn't waste much time in getting off the pair, and did that in style with a boundary to open the account. De Silva continued to look comfortable and with a punch off the backfoot in the 66th over, raised his third Test hundred. While the centurion hardly struggled against the turn and bounce, he continued to battle a bout of cramps every now and then. De Silva had an escape on 110 when he smacked one straight back to Ashwin, but the offspinner had little time to react and grab that.
Roshen Silva grew in confidence with boundaries in back-to-back overs but Sri Lanka continued to sweat over de Silva's fitness, as he finally had to return at the start of the 77th over, on 119. Virat Kohli tried himself and Murali Vijay for an over each as India tried all means to go deeper into the Lankan batting line-up.
With Dickwella and Silva at the crease, and no certainty if de Silva can come out to bat again, Sri Lanka will hardly relax and look to start solidly in the final session of the series.
Brief scores: India 536/7d & 246/5d (Shikhar Dhawan 67, Rohit Sharma 50*; Dhananjaya de Silva 1-31, Lahiru Gamage 1-48) lead Sri Lanka 373 & 226/5 (Dhananjaya de Silva 119 retd. hurt, Roshen Silva 38*; Ravindra Jadeja 3-59) by 184 runs.
