July 27 (CRICKETNMORE): Pacer Mohammed Shami's twin strikes in a single over put India in the commanding position in the opening cricket Test as Sri Lanka lost five quick wickets to totter at 154/5 at stumps on the second day at the Galle International Stadium here on Thursday.
The home side lost three wickets in quick succession to find themselves trailing by 446 runs in their first innings, with former skipper Angelo Mathews (54) and Dilruwan Perera (6) unbeaten at stumps.Shami dealt crucial blows to register figures of 2/30 while fellow pacer Umesh Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged a wicket each. India opener Abhinav Mukund made things worse for the hosts by effecting the run-out of in-form Upul Tharanga.
Reduced to 10 men after the loss of all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, who was ruled out with a broken thumb on Wednesday, the hosts were off to a shaky start, losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne (2), debutant Danushka Gunathilaka (16) and Kusal Mendis (0) in the first 15 overs. Karunaratne was trapped leg before by Umesh while Gunathilaka and Mendis were sent back in the same over by Shami.
Tharanga (64) and Mathews then steadied the ship with a 57-run stand for the fourth-wicket before Mukund's brilliant throw sent back the newly-appointed Sri Lanka One-Day International (ODI) skipper.
