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Sanju Samson (Source-X)
It was a day to forget for Sanju Samson with the bat as well as in the field. Earlier in the day, Samson was out for his second duck in two games with the bat. The day got even more miserable for the 29-year-old as he dropped two easy chances behind the stumps.
The first chance came when Mohammed Siraj found a clear edge off the bat of Kusal Mendis. The ball took the outside edge of the bat as Samson threw himself to the ball and dropped the easiest of chances. Suryakumar Yadav could be seen patting Samson on his back to give him some encouragement.
Catch drop by Best Keeper in the World ,Justice Merchant The one and only The Great sanju samson. pic.twitter.com/MGphKfvzrW
— 🇮🇳Kim Jong OF Cricket 💤 (@kimjongofcrick) July 30, 2024
In the next over, Ravi Bishnoi had Kusal Mendis going for a sweep shot. The ball had taken a thin edge as the replays later suggested. Sadly for Bishnoi, he saw the catch dropped by Samson and it was his 2nd drop in a space of 5 balls.
India labours their way to 137 on a difficult pitch
Earlier in the day, Charith Asalanka saw his bowlers justify his decision to win the toss and bat first. Shubman Gill was the best batter for India with 39 runs which came off 37 balls. The Indian vice-captain hit 3 fours as the visitors found runs tough to come by.
Riyan Parag scored 26 runs with the bat and also added 54 runs with the Gill for the 6th wicket. That stand was crucial in India getting past the 100 mark after they were placed at 48/5 at one stage.
Wanindu Hasaranga then got rid of Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag in a single over to change the course of the game once more. The former Sri Lanka skipper ended the day with figures of 2/29 from his 4 overs.
The best bowler for Sri Lanka was Maheesh Theekshana who picked 3/28 from his 4 overs. His wickets included that of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rinku Singh before dismissing Washington Sundar.
Debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe picked 1/17 from his 4 overs. The right-arm pacer bowled well and got the wicket of Sanju Samson. Asitha Fernando and Ramesh Mendis picked a wicket each as India reached 137 from their 20 overs.