Indians bounce back to level series
Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from Galle
The touring Indian team bounced with a magnificent all round
performance to pull off a resounding 170 run victory over Sri Lanka on
the fourth day of the second Test match at the Galle International
Stadium yesterday.
After their debacle in the opening game in Colombo the Indians showed
a lot of courage and determination to dismiss the home side for just 136
runs after having set a tough victory target of 307 runs. The series is
now level one all with the third and deciding test starting on Friday at
the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo.
This was in fact Sri Lanka’s third lowest total against India in a
test match after their scores of 82 at Chandigarh in 1990 and 119 at
Ahamedabad in 1994. This was also Sri Lanka’s fourth biggest defeat in
terms of runs and only their third loss at this venue.
Sri Lanka never looked like challenging the Indians from the moment
they lost their top three batsmen rather cheaply. However Thilan
Samaraweera and Tillekeratne Dilshan kept their hopes alive to a certain
extent by adding 76 runs for the fifth wicket from 70 deliveries.
In fact middle order batsman Samaraweera carried his bat until the
end with an unbeaten 67 from 217 minutes and 126 deliveries with the aid
of eight boundaries. The dismissal of Tillekeratne Dilshan certainly was
a crucial one because the Indians were under pressure following a couple
of unsuccessful appeals.
Dilshan suddenly lost his concentration soon after the tea break
having occupied the crease for 70 minutes for his 38 which included five
boundaries. Thereafter the Indians simply ran through the Sri Lankan
late order batting with Harbjahan Singh claiming a ten wicket haul.
Sri Lanka of course made a disastrous start to their run chase and
slumped to 24 for 3 at lunch after India’s new ball bowlers Ishant
Sharma and Zaheer Khan had delivered early blows. Sharma had opener
Malinda Warnapura caught by VVS Laxman at slip for a duck in his first
over while Kumar Sangakkara also edged one to Laxman in the slips off
Khan a few minutes later.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene who was the top scorer in the first
innings was then caught in the gully off a full-blooded cut stroke to
leave Sri Lanka reeling on 10 for three at that stage.
Michael van Dort however held on determinedly for 98 minutes facing
60 deliveries for his painstaking ten runs. Earlier Ajantha Mendis and
Muttiah Muralitharan formed an effective combination to dismiss the
Indian team for 269 runs in their second innings. Their efforts had a
great amount of significance because both had the honour of achieving a
milestone in their test career.
Spin wizard Muralitharan took his tally to 751 wickets while playing
in his 122nd match at an average of 21.90. He has now captured 96
wickets at this venue at an average of 17.72 from 13 matches.
In addition Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis also had a
memorable game following a successful test debut against the same
opposition at the SSC ground in Maitland Place last week. This time the
right arm spinner performed even better while claiming his maiden ten
wicket haul.
Mendis captured four wickets for 92 following his six wicket haul in
the first innings which gave him a matchbag of ten wickets for 209 runs
while playing only in his second test match. He has now picked up a
total of 18 wickets from the two test matches at an average of 18.94.
Muttiah Muralitaran is the only Sri Lankan bowler who has claimed
more wickets in a three test series against India having claimed 23
scalps during the 2001 series followed by Rumesh Ratnayake with 20
victims during the 1985 home series.
India who resumed their second innings at 200 for 4 continued to
frustrate the Sri Lankans through their fifth wicket pair of Sourav
Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman. Both made their intentions quite clear from
the start and were more determined to occupy the crease.
However Ganguly went through some real anxious moments and had the
benefit of the doubt when two of his dismissals were referred to the
third umpire. He was eventually snapped up by a clever piece of bowling
from Muralitharn after the batsman had faced 45 deliveries for his 16
runs.
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