Harsha Bhogle on moment 2nd Test slipped from Sri Lanka

Commentator Harsha Bhogle has identified the exact passage of play where the second Test between India and Sri Lanka may have turned decisively. Speaking on air, Bhogle said that after a weather delay of nearly two hours, the pitch behaviour changed significantly and the ball stopped seaming, allowing Rishabh Pant to dominate.

Pant’s unbeaten 63 was the highlight of an engrossing first session in which India reached 419 for six at stumps. The hosts had earlier been bowled out for 197 on day one, giving India a significant first-innings lead. With four wickets still standing, India are strongly placed to push for a series-clinching victory.

The re- start after rain saw the surface become much flatter, favouring batting. Bhogle noted that Sri Lanka’s bowlers had extracted movement before the break but could not replicate it after the interruption, a shift that the commentator judged as ‘the game moving on’ from the hosts.