LIVE: India lose Rahane, Ashwin before rain forces stumps on Day 2

Day 2 starts with India at 17 for 3, trying to bat against a fire breathing Lakmal.

India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test, Kolkata, live scorecard

Stumps Day 2

It's official! Play has been called off on Day 2. The ground staff did their best but there was no respite form the rain, it is still raining at the Eden Gardens.

In the 21 overs of play that took place, the Sri Lankan bowlers again dictated terms led by medium pacer Dasun Shanaka, who sneered a couple of wickets with his controled swing bowling. For India, the only positive was Cheteshwar Pujara, who stood like a rock, holding one end up, writing a manual on how to bat on seaming wickets. He played close to his body and drove only when the ball was over pitched, that too afgter he had covered for the swing. He is unbeaten on 47 with local boy Wriddhiman Saha (6) for company. India are 74/5  

 

#INDvsSL: It has started to rain heavily at Eden Gardens. Chances of play resuming on Day 2 appears to be very slim. #IND: 74/5 pic.twitter.com/orNY29Z1gX

— Wah Cricket (@ABPCricketHindi) November 17, 2017

Fear the devil and the devil arrives

Just when the groundstaff were putting hard yards to remove all the water from the covers, the rain has tiptoed its way back into the Eden Gardens putting a serious doubt on further play on Day 2. Yes it has it has to drizzle again.

Rain stops but...

It has stopped raining at the Eden Gardens but there is hardly any movement from the ground staff. The ground continues to remain under covers and a 15 minute heavy downpour has made sure that most of the post-lunch session will be spent indoors.

Further delay

The news from the centre is not good, the ground is still covered to every inch and it looks like we will have to wait for play to begin post-lunch. 

Under wraps the Eden Gardens post lunch #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/fxS8MZuW5a

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2017

It's lunch on Day 2

The umpires have decided to take an early lunch on Day 2. Precisely at 11.20 am, 10 minutes before the scheduled time. It has been a session that again belonged to the bowlers with Dasun Shanaka taking the centre stage with two important strikes of Ajinkya Rahane (4) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4). Cheteshwar Pujara has been the lone warrior for India so far bringing all his county experience into play. He has Wriddhiman Saha for company, who would look to bail his time out of trouble in his home ground. IND: 74/5

11.10 AM IST: More covers! The entire ground is being wrapped up yet again. Find the green for me please.

Rain returns

Rain arrives for the first time on Day 2 at Eden Gardens, The ground staff rush in with covers, players march towards pavilion and the waiting game begins again. IND: 74/5 (Pujara 47*), Saha (6*)

Sunil Gavaskar: "The batsmen are to be blamed today. They reached out to deliveries which could've been well avoided. On a surface like this, the batsmen should let the ball come to them rather than reaching out for it."

India lose half their side

The rest of Indian batsmen not learning at all from Pujara. Ashwin goes for an extravagant drive to a fuller length delivery only to scoop it up to the point fielder. Shanaka has another, India are staring down the barrel at 50 for 5.

Ashwin's hurt

OUCH! That would have hurt. Gamage bends his back, the ball jags back in with an awkward bounce to thud into Ashwin's right thumb. The magic spray is out, a word from the physio. The injury doesn't appear to be alarming, he should be ready to face the music in a short while.

10.05 AM IST, RAIN ALERT: Just when we were about to have an hours' cricket without any interruptions, things have just started to get dark at the Eden Gardens. The ground staff have assmebled ready beside the boundary ropes, suggesting that rain might be just around the corner. IND: 40/4

Last time India lost first 4 wkts for 30 or fewer runs in 1st inns of a home Test was v SA in Ahmedabad in 2008. They were all out for 76 then. #IndvsSL

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) November 17, 2017

Rahane departs

Who said Shanaka will be the weak link? The medium pacer strikes very early on Day 2 with a nice out swinger that draws Rahane into a cover drive, the ball moves away and gets the outside edge. He won't be happy after looking at that shot in the replays. India have an early wicket on Day 2. IND: 30/4

First runs off Lakmal

Finally, Lakmal conceeds a run - after 46 balls, which is a record of most consecutive dot balls since 2001. Rahane manages a thick outside edge and the ball trickles away to the boundary. Lakmal's figures 8-7-4-3

Boundary relief

Pujara beaks the deadlock, scores the first runs of Day 2, which is also India's first run after 6 overs. It's a push down mid off for four. India's No. 3 follows it up with another solid punch past mid-off, this time with more authority and control. The third seamer (Dasun Shanaka) is already appearing a weak link for Sri Lanka. IND: 25/3

Lakmal starts with another maiden

Lakmal starts off where he had left on Day 1, bowls another maiden to Ajinkya Rahane. That takes his maiden tally to seven.

NOTE: India last socred in the eighth over of their innings. IND: 17/3

If India needed its No. 3 to be a brick wall it is now. Cheteshwar Pujara looked a cut above the rest on testing conditons and he will look to continue the same with vice-captain Ajinktya Rahane for company.

Pitch status: The pitch doesn't appear to have changed much from Day one. Still an even covering of grass. The only difference is the improved light.

What do you reckon the pitch has in store on Day 2 of the 1st Test? #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/z54a3FgwLG

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2017

Here's the playing conditons for Day 2

Day 2 of the 1st Test - Hours of play #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/cxtNr4ev1m

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 17, 2017

Hello and wlecome to the live coverage of Day 2 of the India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata

LIVE UPDATES DAY 2

In just 11.5 overs of play on Day 1, Sri Lanka clearly emerged as the better side led by Suranga Lakmal, who returned with figures of 0 for 3 in his 6 overs - equaling a record for most wickets without conceeding a run in a Test set 58-years ago by former Australia leggie Richie Benaud.

Lakmal made full use of the overcast and damp conditions by making the Indian batsmen play almost every delivery. He removed Rahul off the very first ball of the Test match and then accounted or Shikhar Dhawan (8) and captain Virat Kohli (0).

The off and on action did not help the batsmen as rain and bad llight halted play for multiple occasions.