Colombo: Retiring Kumar Sangakkara and Kaushal Silva steadied Sri Lanka innings after an early jolt as the home side reached to 65 for one at tea in response to India's 393 on the second day of the second cricket Test here today.
Silva (30 batting) and Sangakkara (29 batting) put on 64 runs for the second wicket as Sri Lanka trailed by 328 runs with nine first innings wickets in hand at the P Sara Oval.
Indian pacers Ishant Sharma (0/15) and Umesh Yadav (1/18) made a good start as they used the new ball to good effect. Yadav struck with his first ball, in the second over of Sri Lanka innings, as Dimuth Karunaratne (1) was adjudged LBW even as the ball appeared to be missing leg stump.
It brought Sangakkara to the crease in his last Test and the Indian team lined up along with the two umpires in a guard of honour in greeting the retiring batsman.
It was an interesting passage of play thereafter as the two batsmen had many near-miss moments. Silva chopped on a couple of times, and once failed to negotiate a short delivery that flicked off his bat and looped up, but survived somehow. Sangakkara was a little uneasy against R Ashwin (0/11) when he was introduced in the 12th over.
Both batsmen survived big moments as well. First-change bowler Stuart Binny (0/17) induced an edge from Silva, while on 14, in the ninth over and he was caught behind only to be given not out as the bowler had over-stepped marginally.
Then Sangakkara, on 24, was dropped by Ajinkya Rahane at slip off Ashwin in the 14th over, albeit a tough chance as the batsman played a full-blooded cut that went to the fielder very quickly. The Lankan 50-run mark came up in the 17th over and the two avoided any further loss going into the break.
Earlier, India were bowled for 393 in their first innings, three overs after lunch as Rangana Herath took 4/81.
On the third ball after play resumed at 368/8 for the second session, Herath trapped Wriddhiman Saha LBW.
The keeper-batsman was unable to add to his score 56 runs (117 balls, 6x4), and then last batsman Umesh Yadav (2 not out) came to the crease. The innings lasted for another 15 balls before as Herath dismissed Ishant Sharma (2) in the 114th over, another LBW.
