First Test: Sri Lanka's Karunaratne, Dickwella keep India waiting (Lead Tea Report)

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne and stumper Niroshan Dickwella steadied Sri Lanka after they lost two quick wickets just after lunch, to reach 192/4 at tea on the penultimate day of the opening cricket Test against India here on Saturday.

Karunaratne (85 not out), Niroshan Dickwella (48 not out) went undefeated for tea after adding 76 runs for the fifth wicket at the Galle International Stadium here.

Resuming the session at 85/2, Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis (36) started cautiously and played the ball to its merit. Indian bowlers got many chances but the luck was on the hosts side.

Just when things seemed good at the middle, Mendis was sent back by Ravindra Jadeja, caught by wicketkeper Wriddhiman Saha with just 108 runs on the board.

Incoming batsman Angelo Mathews (2) also failed to step up to the pressure and was caught by Hardik Pandya off Jadeja. Mathews departure made the hosts tottering at 116/4.

But Karunaratne and Dickwella then steadied the innings and helped the hosts to cross the 190 run mark without any hiccups.

Brief Scores: India 600, 240/3 declared vs Sri Lanka 291, 192/4 (Dimuth Karunaratne 85 batting, Niroshan Dickwella 48 batting, Ravindra Jadeja 2/42).

--IANS

sam-gau/vm