1st Test, Day 5: Bad light denies India victory after Kohli, pacers' stellar show

Bad light stops play. The first of the ongoing three-match Test series ends in a draw despite India needing only three more wickets to win at Eden Gardens.

It's safe to say that the bad light has prevented a Sri Lankan defeat. Should we blame Virat Kohli for delaying the declartion and going for his century? Should we blame the slow over rates on Day 3 and Day 4? A lot of ifs and buts here.

The two teams will now head to Nagpur to play the second Test, starting November 24.

SL 75/7, 294 against IND 352/8 d, 172.

Nonetheless, what a reviting last day it was at Eden. Both the teams' bowlers proved their mettle. Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were excellent towards the end of the day. All seventeen Sri Lankan wickets to fall were taken by the pacers.

Captain Kohli played one of the finest knocks at home to steer India out of a dangerous situation after they lost wickets aplenty after Lunch. He also brought up his 50th international ton.

India will defenitely be the happier team at the end of this match. Good way to finish before heading to Nagpur for the second Test, starting November 24.

4:15pm IST: Bhuvneshwar almost had another one there. Dilruwan Perera was stuck in front, and was given out. However, he reviewed to get the decision overturned.

The light is getting poorer, according to sources from the ground. Indians are rushing through their overs.

4:12pm IST: OUT! Sri Lanka lose a big wicket here as Niroshan Dickwella goes for 27 after being trapped in front off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

SL 69/6 in 23.1 overs, trail IND by 162 runs.

Update: 3:26 pm IST: Sri Lanka 41/4 in 15 overs. A minimum of 32 overs remaining. However, bad light could hamper India's chances of bowling those overs.

Update: 3:12 pm IST: SL 22/4

India are making life difficult for Sri Lanka, who have lost four wickets so far. India have their tails up as pacers are doing a brilliant job. Top Stuff!

TEA TIME - A fascinating final session of play awaits us in Kolkata. 

2:30 pm IST: Bhuvneshwar and Shami have not given any freebies to the Sri Lankan batsmen. The visitors, in their brief spell before the tea break, have scored 8 runs from 7 overs, with two wickets down.  

2:15 pm IST: Bhuvneshwar and Shami - India's new ball pacers have given the home team a perfect start. SL have lost both their openers with just two runs on the board. Both the pacers have taken a wicket each. 

1:46 pm IST: Kohli makes up for that duck in the first innings as the India captain leads from the front in the second, scoring a wonderful ton. He scored 104 runs from 119 balls. 

With Kohli's century, India have also declared their innnings and set a target of 231 runs for Sri Lanka. India scored 352 in the second innings. 

1:26pm IST: Drinks time at Eden Gardens! Virat Kohli has almost negated Sri Lanka's chances of winning this Test by switching gears after lunch.

IND 321 for 7 in 85 overs, lead SL by 199 runs. Kohli batting on 86.

1:20pm IST: Virat Kohli has switched gears at Eden Gardens. He has realised the need to take India to a safe total. The skipper has scored 45 off 41 balls since Lunch.

IND 314/7 in 84 overs, lead SL by 192 runs.

1:15pm IST: India go past 300 runs as Virat Kohli continues to stay solid in the middle.

The Indian captain surived an LBW scare by using the DRS to good effect. He will be key to India's chances of drawing this Test as Sri Lanka look pumped up with the new ball.

IND 302/7 lead SL by 180 runs.

12:59m IST: OUT! Another one bites the dust. This time, it is Wriddhiman Saha. The wicket-keeper batsman goes for 5.

IND 281/7 in 80 overs, lead SL by just 159 runs. Second new ball has been taken by the visitors.

Sri Lanka can still push for a win. However, Virat Kohli, batting on 62, is the key for India.

12:39pm IST: OUT! R Ashwin departs for 7 as Dasun Shanaka uses the scrambled seam to get the ball through the batsman's defence.

IND 269 for 6, lead SL by 147 runs.

India are now effectively 147/6. Sri Lanka still are in with a chance if they manage to wrap up India's tail quickly.

12:30pm IST: It's a first Test fifty for Virat Kohli at Eden Gardens as the Indian skipper breaks the jinx at iconic venue.

IND 268 for 5 in 73 overs, lead SL by 146 runs.

11:35am IST: It's Lunch at Eden Gardens! India lead by 129 runs and Virat Kohli is going strong (41* off 71 balls).

IND 251 for 5, lead SL by 129 runs.

It's safe to say that it has been Sri Lanka's session once again. India were not allowed to get away with the game as the visitors conceded only 80 runs in the morning session. Suranga Lakmal shone with three wickets, including that of KL Rahul, who was looking set to do some damage on the morning.

Decision to promote Ravindra Jadeja did not work as well as scored at a snai's pace before getting out for 9.

11:21am IST: OUT! Ravindra Jadeja's stay (9 off 41 balls) ends after he edged one off Dilruwan Perera to the slips.

IND 249/5, lead SL by 127 runs.

Virat Kohli (39* off 59) is key to India's chances now and he has been joined by R Ashwin, who walked in at No. 7.

10:20am IST: Two wickets in the same over for Suranga Lakmal as he removes Cheteshwar Pujara (22) and Ajinkya Rahane (0) in a span of four balls.

With a perfect bouncer, Lakmal surprised Pujara, who failed to get out of the way in time. Rahane was trapped in front after the ball nipped in late. Delightful bowling from the right-arm pacer.

IND 215/4, lead SL by 93 runs.

Ravindra Jadeja has joined Virat Kohli now. Shows India are still thinking runs. 

9:38am IST: OUT! Suranga Lakmal in action once again, gets one throug KL Rahul's defence. The Karnataka batsman also misses out on a ton (79) just like his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan who was dismissed for 94 on Sunday.

IND 192/2 in 45 overs, lead SL by 70 runs.

Skipper Virat Kohli has joined Cheteshwar Pujara in the middle.

9:15am IST: Rahul and Pujara are out in the middle. The sun is shining bright in Eden Gardens. The stands look deserted.

The pitch, it seems, has completely eased out. A draw likely?

Pitch report

"It is pretty good. The grass is gone, a couple of spots are opening up. It is around middle and off. I don't think the crack is going to open up in a major way. But the odd ball might keep up and down," says Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull while presenting the pitch report.

8:30am IST: Hello and welcome to IBTimes India's updates of Day 5 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.

IND171/1 in 39.3 overs, lead by 49 runs (Rahul 73*, Pujara 2*)

18 overs were lost due to bad light and poor overrate on Saturday, but India have a 49-run lead heading into the final day. Although a draw looks the most likely result, opener Shikhar Dhawan, who swung the momentum back in the hosts favour with a brisk 94 on Sunday, has said the team will push for a result on Monday.

"We are going to play positive cricket tomorrow, try to give them a decent total and make a match out of this," Dhawan said on Sunday.

Recap of Day 4

Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul featured in a rollicking 166-run stand to help India erase the 122-run lead they had conceded to Sri Lanka on the penultimate day of the opening test on Sunday.

Dhawan threw away his wicket at 94, but Rahul was unbeaten on 73 when bad light stopped play with the hosts on 171-1.

Cheteshwar Pujara was on two at the other end with India 49 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand, an impressive fightback after being all out for 172 in their first innings.

The hosts had lost the entire top half of their batting order by the time they had accumulated 50 runs in the first innings but Rahul and Dhawan ensured there was no repeat by scoring at nearly four-and-half runs an over.

Dhawan was decisive with his footwork against the slow bowlers, which he demonstrated with two sixes off Sri Lanka's spin spearhead Rangana Herath.

The left-hander also hit 11 boundaries before rushing out to hit Dasun Shanaka before being caught behind.

Rahul was his elegant self at the other end as the right-hander registered his ninth 50-plus score in his last 11 test innings, which included eight crisp boundaries.

Earlier, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 294 in their first innings after number nine batsman Herath top-scored for the tourists with a defiant 67. (With inputs from Reuters)