Yashasvi Jaiswal hits quick 61 to lead India’s 207-run chase against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in warm-up Test match

Yashasvi Jaiswal made a strong comeback after his first-innings failure, scoring a quick 61 on the final day of India’s three-day practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo.

Jaiswal had been dismissed for a duck in India’s first innings, but he looked in good touch in the second innings. He took on the Sri Lankan bowlers from the start and scored his half-century in quick time, giving India the perfect start in their chase.

The Indian opener scored 61 off 46 balls before being dismissed. His knock included several boundaries and helped India build momentum while chasing a target of 207.

India needed 207 runs to win after Sri Lanka Cricket XI declared their second innings at 200/6. The hosts had started the final day at 200/6 and added only a few more runs before declaring, leaving India with a target that was achievable in the time available.

India’s bowling attack had a much better outing in the third innings. After Sri Lanka XI had scored 363/8 declared in their first innings, the Indian bowlers kept things tighter in the second innings.

Ravindra Jadeja was among the wickets and finished with two wickets in the innings. The Indian bowlers did not allow the Sri Lankan batters to score freely and kept picking up wickets at regular intervals. The hosts eventually decided to declare at 200/6 after 45 overs.

That left India with a straightforward target and enough time to go for the win.

Jaiswal and the other Indian batters then started the chase aggressively. The left-hander looked much more comfortable than he had in the first innings and made sure India did not waste time.

The warm-up match has already provided India with some useful positives ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.

Devdutt Padikkal has been one of the biggest positives. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 142 on the second day and made a strong case for the No. 3 position after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the Test series with a toe injury.

Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with the bat, scoring 63 before retiring hurt. Gurnoor Brar added a quick 36 not out from just 18 balls.

India had declared their first innings at 357/6 in reply to Sri Lanka XI’s 363/8. With the hosts setting a target of 207, India went into the final innings knowing they had a good chance of finishing the practice game with a win.

For Jaiswal, the 61 was particularly important. After a disappointing first innings, he got some valuable time in the middle and found his rhythm again.