GALLE (SRI LANKA), JUL 3 (PTI): Opener Sai Sudharsan continued his rich vein of form, notching up a second successive hundred of the series as India A finished Day 2 of the second unofficial Test at a strong 247 for one here on Friday.
India A are now trailing by 119 runs, after bowling out their Sri Lankan counterparts for 366 in their first innings.
The visitors’ command performance was orchestrated by Sudharsan (104 batting), who fetched his 10th first-class hundred off 166 balls, and Devdutt Padikkal, who was equally fluent during his unbeaten 94 off 151 balls.
The two left-handers added 181 runs for the unfinished second wicket stand after Aman Mokhade departed for 38.
The opening wicket stand between Sudharsan and Mokhade was worth 66 runs.
Off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha ousted Mokhade but that was the lone success the hosts had on the day on a rather slow turner.
Thereafter, Sudharsan and Devdutt outclassed the Lankan bowlers with ease. The Tamil Nadu batter reached his fifty in 85 balls with a boundary off pacer Asanka Manoj, and later completed the hundred without much fuss.
Sudharsan had made a century in the drawn first unofficial Test as well, and in all likelihood he has sealed a place in the soon-to-be announced India squad for the away two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Devdutt, who is also in contention for a berth for that rubber, was not far behind his colleague, bringing up a fifty in 67 balls, and continued to help Sudharsan grind the Lankan bowlers. It was Devdutt’s second consecutive fifty in this series.
However, the home side had a happy moment earlier in the day as skipper Sahan Arachchige completed his ninth first-class hundred.
Arachchige, who resumed the day from overnight 83, reached the three-figure mark in 176 balls with a single off pacer Gurnoor Brar (4/77).
Later, he smashed Brar for a six to 127 but two balls later the India quick had his revenge, disturbing Arachchige’s stumps.
Veteran off-spinner Saransh Jain (4/92) too had a good outing as India A plucked the remaining five Lankan wickets for 78 runs.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka A: 366 all out in 110 overs (Sahan Arachchige 127; Saransh Jain 4/92, Gurnoor Brar 4/77) vs India A: 247/1 in 63 overs (Sai Sudharsan 104 batting, Devdutt Padikkal 94 batting).
