Sensational Pant gives India control in Mohali  

Rex Clementine in Mohali

A key figure in India’s series win in Australia last year was Rishab Pant whose stunning counterattack against Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins saw the Aussies lose a Test at the Gabba for the first time in more than 30 years. Sri Lankan players got a taste of Pant’s explosive batting yesterday as he posted 96 off 97 balls on day one of the first Test in Mohali.

Having reduced India to 228 for five and with big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the pavilion, Sri Lanka were looking to dismiss India perhaps below 300. But that proved to be wishful thinking as Pant threw caution to the wind and helped India to an impregnable position.

Pant was watchful earlier on taking 73 balls for his half-century, but from thereon he was putting the bowling to the sword as his next 46 runs came off 24 balls. Sri Lanka were running out of ideas fast.

Skipper Dimuth Karunarante placed six fielders on the boundary rope hoping that there will be a mishit but that proved to be wishful thinking as Pant cleared the boundary and the ball landed in the stands.

Pant smashed 22 runs off a Lasith Embudeniya over that contained two fours and two sixes. In the next over bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva, the left-hander hammered two one handed sixes.

Soon, Dimuth Karunaratne switched to pace and the new ball was taken when it was due. Lakmal found the breakthrough when he breached Pant’s defences. His 96 came off 97 deliveries with nine fours and four sixes.

India were going at a hectic rate after electing to bat first as 50 runs came inside ten overs. But Rohit Sharma was playing one too many attacking strokes and perished when he tried to deposit a Lahiru Kumara delivery over fine-leg but failed to clear the fielder.

Kumara returned to the dressing room holding his hamstring after bowling ten overs and did not return to the field. The fast bowler has a history of breaking down middle of a Test match. Strangely, he has not played in a First Class game since breaking down halfway through the Bangladesh Test at Pallekele in May last year.

The game was all about Virat Kohli, who was featuring in his 100th Test match. The former captain has gone through a lean patch and many were expecting Sri Lanka’s harmless bowling attack would help him to his first international hundred in more than two years. But when on 45 Embuldeniya cleaned him up with a beauty.

Sri Lanka’s 300th Test match also marked the return of Niroshan Dickwella to international cricket. The early indications are that he has learned little from his time out from the game as he prompted the captain for two silly reviews. Dickwella remains immature, impulsive and perhaps incorrigible.