Sri Lanka pacer Prasad confident of getting remaining Indian wickets 'cheaply'

Notwithstanding India’s dogged fightback after losing a flurry of wickets, pacer Dhammika Prasad today said Sri Lanka can claw back into the game as the nature of the wicket was changing and it was not as bowler friendly at the start of the Test.

Riding on Pujara’s unbeaten 135, India closed Day 2 on 292 for eight with lot of time lost due to rain interruptions – only 15 overs were possible on the opening day. Dhammika, who has picked up four wickets so far, is confident of making it count on the morning of Day 3.

“In the first session (yesterday), we could get lots of seam movement. In the latter part of the day it has changed a bit. It’s not doing as much as it did yesterday. It’s changed a bit,” Prasad said in the post-day press conference.

“There was a lot of swing in the morning today too. When the pitch had some sun in the afternoon, it slowed down a little. By the evening, that movement from the morning wasn’t there. Now that the wicket is covered, there will be something in it tomorrow morning. I think we should be able to get those two wickets (remaining),” he added.

India were struggling at 119 for five and then were reduced to 180 for seven before Pujara got going with Amit Mishra (59). The duo stitched a 104-run eight-wicket partnership to bring Indian back on their feet, but Prasad sees a lot of light at the end of the tunnel.

“We had seven of their wickets for 180, then they had that 100-run stand. We were in the ascendancy, but with the century stand we went down a little bit. But I think we can get the remaining wickets cheaply and regain a good position,” Prasad said.

Making batsmen play and miss on his away-going deliveries, Prasad (4-83) was more than a threat to many an Indian batsmen. His verbal chats with Pujara and Virat Kohli also added spice to the days play and Prasad said it’s all part of the game.

“At the time, I had had two close lbw appeals against Kohli. I was a little frustrated because I didn’t get them. Also, Kohli and Pujara were getting beaten a lot by the balls I was sending down. I was desperate for a wicket, so with that frustration, I did anything I could do to try and get that wicket,” he said, when asked about the chatter in the middle.

“Sometimes it happens. It’s part of the games. When we’re having this kind of wicket you have to bowl those kinds of good areas. When the batsman is doing well, we have to bowl the right areas all the time. I’m not frustrated. I just kept trying hard,” he added, about beating the batsmen throughout the day.

PTI