Jadeja's all-round performance puts India in commanding position

As the second day of the first Test match came to an end, records tumbled like a house of cards as India dominated the visitors with extreme prejudice. It took the hosts 23 Test matches to rack up their first 500 plus score, a soothing salve for the frayed nerves where the Indian middle-order has produced highly questionable numbers of late.

This was also India’s eleventh 500-plus score in Test cricket at home, another glorious ode to the bedazzling brilliance that the nation has managed to secure in recent times. Ravindra Jadeja’s staggering knock in the end where he remained unbeaten witnessed him penning another historical feat where the all-rounder became the first batter in the history of Test cricket to bat at the number seven position and remain involved in three hundred-plus partnerships.

India started on a fiery note that witnessed Ravichandran Ashwin taking over the reins of assault as he braved his way past the Lankan bowlers with consummate ease. Much to the surprise of the visitors, he displayed a steely resolve with the bat to rack up quick runs where Jadeja played second fiddle to India’s ace off-spinner.

Once Ashwin was dismissed by a short ball from Suranga Lakmal, the southpaw took it upon him to inflict maximum damage on the visitors. He brought out the big guns and the Lankan counterparts simply sat ducks under Jadeja’s heavy fire.

Jayant Yadav couldn’t really stitch together an imperative display of resistance but the continuous display of aggression from Jadeja witnessed India sailing comfortably through the ever-shifting mazes of Sri Lanka.

Mohammed Shami and Jadeja played another fine partnership that saw the hosts piling up a momentous 574 before the declaration came with Jadeja staying unbeaten for his career-best score of 175.

The two Lankan openers gave the visitors a decent start as skipper, Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne seemed to be comfortably negotiating the Indian pacers. They took calculated risks as the bowlers had a tough time trying to dismantle the opening pair.

It was in the 19th over where Ravichandran Ashwin got the first breakthrough for the Indians as he left Thirimanne stunned with a skitter that angled in. Jadeja struck in quick succession as he claimed the Lankan skipper with some sharp turn.

Pathum Nissanka and a seasoned Angelo Matthews stitched together a fine show to propel Sri Lanka to 96 before Bumrah finally got it right to remove the latter with a screamer. He got Nissanka early with an absolute peach only for the umpire to signal no-ball, cutting his celebrations short. The delivery that claimed Matthews was nothing short of a screamer, either.

Just when Sri Lanka thought that they have had enough of the Indian torment, Ashwin produced another piece of magic to claim Dhananjaya de Silva, leaving them stranded at the feet of a vertiginous mountain that will need some herculean climbing to be done if Sri Lanka wants to have any hope of averting a humiliation.