That will be the first prize – Morne Morkel on India’s intentions of enforcing potential follow-on

Team India savoured another triumphant day in Colombo as their bowlers put in an intense shift to leave the hosts frazzled on a rain-plagued day. Manav Suthar and Prasidh Krishna combined forces to ask all the right questions to the Sri Lankan batters as India restricted them to 265/8 at the end of day's play.

With India's lead still reading a staggering 238 runs, bowling coach Morne Morkel opened up on the possibility of the visitors enforcing a follow-on.

With the rain-gods throwing in a mercurial shade as the sessions succeeded, the Indian bowling preceptor opened up on why the thought of a follow-on will be doing the rounds.

Talking in the presser at the end of day's play, Morkel said, "That will be the first prize… that we can get those two wickets tomorrow early. I know it's a cliche thing, but you know, with the weather around and sometimes the time it takes with taking the covers on and off, we want to try and get as many overs as possible to the Sri Lankans. So hopefully, we can get those wickets tomorrow and then be brave, put them in, and bowl well."

He further added, “It is hard work out there, you know. I think sometimes even us, we get sucked in that expectation where we think it looks slightly dry and we need to bowl teams out for under 200. But unfortunately, at times it's not gonna work like that. It's tough conditions; it's hot, hot conditions. The ball goes soft quite quickly.”

Morkel concluded by saying, “As the boys walked in there tonight, I said to them it is a proper day of Test cricket, and this is how we're gonna learn. This is how we're gonna grow. We always talk about bowling in partnerships, about creating pressure, and this is how you develop it - on days like today, when there's a batting partnership going [on]. You can break it. The key is to define that breakthrough, and then how well can you start your next thing."