VISITORS ESCAPE WITH A DRAW
The first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens ended in a thrilling draw, with the hosts almost sealing an unlikely win. Resuming at 171/1, India set Sri Lanka a target of 231 -- courtesy Virat Kohli’s 50th international ton. In reply, the visitors were blown away by an outstanding spell of bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar but bad light played spoilsport as the match ended in a draw. Get highlights of India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 5, Kolkata, here.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Man of the Match): “Frankly speaking, it was tougher to bowl in the second innings as the surface was a lot drier,” he says. “But the ball was reversing, so that helped. When I made my debut, I was totally dependent on swing. International circuit tells you what you need to improve on. I worked hard on my fitness and that is paying off. We believed we could win. Virat said ‘Imagine we’re in this situation overseas. If we get two-three wickets early, it won’t be easy for them.”
Virat Kohli: “It was important to make something out of the game with whatever time we had. Conditions changed drastically over the five days. We had to show character, having been on the backfoot on day one and day two. Credit to Sri Lanka. The team showed a lot of character. We didn’t look at the batting collapse. We believed in our strengths. If you didn’t have intent on this wicket, it would’ve been difficult to survive. That was the key. If we got enough good balls in the right areas, it would’ve been tough. All in all, we’re proud of how we finished. Bhuvneshwar is a massive contender to start in every Test for India, he’ll be a vital part of our plans, especially overseas.”
Dinesh Chandimal: “In these kind of conditions, toss was crucial. We fought hard and competed well. Till the last session, we fought well and played as a team. Unfortunately, the last 10-15 overs brought a lot of pressure but we played good cricket and competed well. Lakmal is unbelievable, especially over the last one or two years. He’s one who you can trust as a captain.”
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