India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 2: India In Control As Sri Lanka Lose 1 Wicket In Chase Of 447

Rishabh Pant put Sri Lankan attack to the sword with a record-breaking half-century while Shreyas Iyer yet again conjured up a measured fifty to let India grab complete control of the second Test in Bengaluru on Sunday. Pant's 31-ball 50 and Iyer's 67-run knock after useful contribution from top-order batters meant that India set Sri Lanka a mammoth 447-run target after declaring their second innings at 303 for nine. The struggling visitors would need no less than a miraculous show to save the match after ending the second day at 28 for one.

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne (10) and Kusal Mendis (16) will resume Sri Lankan chase on Monday morning.

With plenty of time at their disposal after bundling out Sri Lanka for 109 in the first session of the day for a 143-run first-innings lead, India batters gained more experience of playing with pink ball on a wicket that assisted spinners.

Like in the first innings, it was Pant's blitzkrieg that forced Sri Lanka into complet submission. He did not let them gain momentum after getting breakthroughs. Pant's game-changing innings let Iyer play freely and that certainly helped India to extend their lead beyond the 400-run mark.

Iyer carried from where he left in the first innings, scoring 67 off 87 balls with help of nine shots the fence.

There is never a dull moment when Pant is at the crease and it did not change today. He cut, pulled, swept, reverse swept, drove, charged down the wicket at will and raised his fifty off just 28 balls with 40 of those runs coming in boundaries.

It was the fastest Test fifty by an Indian, obliterating the 30-ball effort by Kapil Dev against Pakistan in 1982. He fell for an even 50, becoming the third scalp of left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama (4/78).