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India A vs Sri Lanka A, Unofficial Test Day 4: Ayush Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal extend India’s lead

IND A vs SL A: India A will aim to strengthen their grip on the 1st Unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A when play resumes on Day 4 at the Galle International Stadium. Holding a commanding overall lead of 170 runs with all 10 second innings wickets intact, the visitors are firmly in control and will look to set a daunting fourth innings target before pushing for victory on the final day. The opening session is expected to be crucial, with India A likely to adopt an aggressive approach in a bid to extend their lead past the 300-run mark before declaring and give their bowlers enough time to exploit a deteriorating Galle surface.

India’s statement plan A
Openers Aayush Pandey (20) * and Devdutt Padikkal (20) * resume the innings on Day 4. With a substantial first innings lead already in hand, India A is expected to score at a rapid pace during the morning session, with the aim of extending its lead to around 325-350 runs before declaring. Such a target would leave Sri Lanka A with a daunting chase while giving India’s bowling attack enough time to force a result.

Sai Sudharsan’s fitness remains under the scanner
India A could be without one of their top performers if needed later in the innings. After making a superb 132 in the first innings, Sai Sudharsan retired injured just four overs into India’s second innings. His fitness remains a concern, although the visitors won’t need to beat him again if their top order accelerates as expected.

Auqib Nabi leads India’s bowling attack
Fast bowler Auqib Nabi emerged as the game-changer on Day 3 with outstanding figures of 4/58, sparking a dramatic lower-order collapse as Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for just 30 runs. He will once again spearhead India’s pace attack, while spinners Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur are expected to play an increasingly significant role on a surface that should offer more spin and variable bounce as the match progresses.

Sri Lanka A face-to-face survival test
For the hosts, the priority will be batting on the last day to save a draw. Their hopes rest largely on first-innings performers Nuwanidu Fernando (84), captain Sahan Arachchige (72) and Ashen Bandara (70), who will need to produce another resilient batting effort against an Indian attack that has grown in confidence after dominating the latter stages of the third day.

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