Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara was partly critical of India’s bowling performance against Sri Lanka on day three of the rain-affected Galle Test on Monday.
After closing their first innings at 462 in the first over of the day, India bundled out the hosts for 262. However, despite having Sri Lanka five down for 90, India were briefly thwarted by a strong sixth-wicket partnership between Sonal Dinusha and wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella.
While left-arm spinner Manav Suthar emerged as the pick of the bowlers with figures of four for 62, Pujara said that wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was not incisive during his spells. The wrist-spinner was the least economical bowler, conceding 65 runs at 4.64 per over with a solitary wicket.
“Kuldeep was bowling well. I was little surprised by Kuldeep and Shubman’s strategy of going wide of off stump. They could have stuck to the stump line. You have to keep the stumps in play. Kuldeep can flight the ball. When you go outside the off stump, the only way you can pick up a wicket is by getting a top edge. He should have bowled slightly better against left-handers,” Pujara told on Cricinfo.
Pujara added that the Dinusha-Dickwella partnership blunted the spin trio of Suthar, Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja.
“When both the left-handers were dominating, all our spinners struggled to bowl against them. The batters were sweeping and reverse-sweeping. That was a phase I think our spinners could have been slightly better. Once the ball got softer, our spinners were finding it challenging to spin the ball and to generate that pace and nip off the pitch.”
Kuldeep’s solitary wicket was that of left-hander Kamindu Mendis, caught off a stunning acrobatic dive from captain Shubman Gill at cover. India eventually dismissed Sri Lanka for 284 for a 178-run first-innings lead before heavy run called for early stumps.