'Felt Like A Century' Says Shreyas Iyer After Hitting 92 In Pink Ball Test

Shreyas Iyer on Saturday said he had no regrets on missing out on a century after his 92 helped India claw back and take control of the pink ball Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Iyer hit 92 to lift India, who lead the two-Test series 1-0, to 252 all out from a precarious 86-4 after they elected to bat first in Bangalore.

India's bowlers then reduced Sri Lanka to 86 for six at stumps on day one, still trailing the hosts by 166 runs. But it was Iyer's second Test half-century in just his fourth match that set the tone for India's dominance.

"I am disappointed that I missed out on a hundred, but if you see from the team's perspective, we got to a very fighting total," 27-year-old Iyer told reporters.

"And seriously I don't have any regrets. I felt fifty was like a century and the way I celebrated it was like a century feeling for me."

Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, on 13, and Lasith Embuldeniya, on nought, were batting at close of play after fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah ended a gritty knock by Angelo Mathews.

Mathews fell for 43 to become Bumrah's third wicket after Kusal Mendis and Lahiru Thirimanne.

Bumrah and Mohammed Shami combined to reduce Sri Lanka to 28-4 as the pace duo made the pink ball swing and seam in the final session under lights.

Shami bowled skipper Dimuth Karunaratne for four and trapped Dhananjaya de Silva for 10 to raise the pitch of the weekend crowd at M Chinnaswamy Stadium which is operating at full capacity as the domestic Covid threat recedes.

For India, Iyer put on crucial partnerships including a 40-run fifth-wicket partnership with Rishabh Pant, who hit 39, to thwart the Sri Lankan spin attack.

Virat Kohli stunned

Embuldeniya and fellow left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama took