Sri Lanka win final Test to take Series 2 -1
Elmo Rodrigopulle
Sri Lanka waltzed to a richly deserved eight wicket victory over
India in the final Test and also a series clinching 2-1 victory at the
P.Sara Oval yesterday, 65 minutes after tea on the fourth day.
Man-of-the-Series Ajantha Mendis |
Chasing 122 for victory, they achieved the target- 123-for two
wickets with Malinda Warnapura unbeaten on 54 and Mahela Jayawardena 50
not out and with it the Idea Trophy.
Loud cheers from an appreciative crowd rent the air signaling Sri
Lanka's victory when Jayawardena magnificently square cut a delivery
from Virender Sehwag to the fence to also reach his 50. And didn't
Jayawardena and Warnapura jubilate.
Sri Lanka last won a series against India in Sri Lanka was when
Sanath Jayasuriya's 2001 team beat them 2-1. In this series Sri Lanka
won the First Test at the SSC and lost the Second in Galle and won the
Third at the P.Sara Oval.
When the Lankans began their chase for victory, they lost Michael
Vandort bowled by Harbhajan for 8 at 11 and then first innings century
maker Kumar Sangakkara for 4 with the total on 22.
Sangakkara's out of this world timing of his push to off saw the ball
flying to Gambhir at mid off. Zaheer Khan was the bowler. At 22 for 2
things looked a bit tricky. With the batting jet in a bit of turbulence.
But Jayawardena proved a clever pilot and with an able co-pilot in
opener Malinda Warnapura steered the jet out of the turbulence, a clear
course and a copy book landing which was an eight wicket memorable
victory.
Jayawardena played his signature off drives and lofted shots with
superb timing while left hander Warnapura pulled and drove with
consummate ease for his runs. They were involved in an unbroken stand of
101 for the third wicket.
In inflicting this defeat the Lankans earned themselves an extra day
to celebrate and India an extra day to lick their wounds and go back to
the drawing boards and study where they went wrong, considering that
they won the all important toss and took strike.
The Indians dug their own grave when they lost their way with some
irresponsible batting in the first innings especially on a wicket that
had a bag full of runs for the taking. Then they did a repeat in the
second innings. There was no imagination in their batting and once they
collapsed for 249, the game for them was as good as over.
When play began on the fourth day, India were 161 for 5 a lead of 14
runs with two of their most experienced and tested batsmen Rahul Dravid
and V.V.S. Laxman at the wickets on 46 and 17 respectively.
Incidentally it was Dravid 180 and Laxman 281 who turned the cricket
world upside down, when they figured in a big stand of 376 for the fifth
wicket in the Second Test at Eden Gardens, Calcutta in 2001 against
Australia, after India was asked to follow on and it was their stand
that helped India win the Test by 171 runs and the series 2-1.The Test
seemed lost until they got their batting act together.
The Lankans were a bit apprehensive wondering whether these two could
perform a similar act this time too.
Dravid and Laxman thwarted the spin of Muttiah Muralitheran and
Ajantha Mendis to close on lunch with some very correct batting, cutting
out the risks and going about their job of taking their side to a
formidable lead from where they could probe for victory.
Skipper Jayawardena gave his spin twins attacking fields in an
endevour to unsettle the batsmen. He had a short leg, silly mid on and a
man just behind mid on and a leg slip and a slip.
Then after adding 85 for the sixth wicket, the persevering Ajantha
Mendis had Dravid who made his first fifty of the tour nicely taken by
Jayawardena in the slips off a well disguised doosra. The wicket fell at
216.
The batsman made 68 with 6 fours in 166 balls and 226 minutes. That
was the wicket that the Lankans badly needed. It was Mendis' 26th wicket
in the series. A great effort.
Dravid played some of his exquisite drives on either side of the
wicket. But it was obvious that he has slowed down and his days in the
team are numbered. And this series defeat could also see the end of the
glittering careers of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.
Laxman who was hobbling around with his ankle injury, laboured to
remain unbeaten on 61 when the Indian innings ended on 268. He stuck it
out for 193 minutes facing 157 balls and hitting 3 fours. After the
dismissal of Dravid, India lost Anil Kumble run out for 9.
Harbhajan Singh came in and played a breezy knock of 26 with 5 fours
and then faling LBW to Vaas, Zaheer Khan was run out for no score and
Ishant Sharma went caught at leg slip off Muralitheran for no score and
the Indian innings ended at 268. A lead of 121 leaving Sri Lanka 122 for
a series clinching win.
It was a brilliant effort by the bowlers especially Muralitheran and
Mendis to restrict the Indians to a score of 268. Muralitheran bowled
unchanged, while Mendis who had a couple of spells was his usual teasing
self. Muralitheran had 3 for 99, Mendis 3 for 81 and Dhammika Prasad 2
for 60.
Kumar Sangakkara was the Man of the Match for his fighting knock of
144 and Ajantha Mendis was undoubtedly the Man-of-the-Series for his bag
of 26 wickets on debut in a Three Test series which saw him also break
the 63 year old record that was to the credit of former England paceman
Alec Bedser against India in England in 1946 under the captaincy of
Wally Hammond when he bagged 23 wickets on debut.
India 1st innings 249
(G. Gambhir 72;
A. Mendis 5-56)
Sri Lanka
1st innings 396
(K. Sangakkara 144; H. Singh 3-104)
INDIA 2nd innings
(overnight 161-5):
G. Gambhir b Prasad 26
V. Sehwag c Samaraweera b Prasad 34
R. Dravid c M. Jayawardene b Mendis 68
S. Ganguly lbw b Muralitharan 18
P. Patel lbw b Mendis 1
S. Tendulkar lbw b Mendis 14
V. Laxman not out 61
A. Kumble lbw b Muralitharan 9
H. Singh lbw b Vaas 26
Z. Khan run out 0
I. Sharma c Warnapura b Muralitharan 0
EXTRAS (b5, lb3, nb1, w2) 11
TOTAL (for all out) 268
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-62 (Sehwag), 2-65 (Gambhir),
3-108 (Ganguly), 4-109 (Patel), 5-131 (Tendulkar),
6-216 (Dravid), 7-229 (Kumble), 8-266 (Singh), 9-268 (Khan),
10-268 (Sharma).
BOWLING: Vaas 5-0-20-1,
Prasad 11-0-60-2 (nb1, w2),
Muralitharan 37.5-4-99-3,
Mendis 34-7-81-3.
SRI LANKA
2nd innings M. Vandort b Harbhajan 8
M. Warnapura not out 54
K. Sangakkara c Gambhir b Zaheer 4
M. Jayawardene not out 50
EXTRAS (b4, lb3) 7
TOTAL (for two wickets) 123
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-11 (Vandort), 2-22 (Sangakkara)
BOWLING: Zaheer 6-1-22-1,
Harbhajan 14-2-44-1,
Kumble 10-2-34-0,
Sehwag 3-0-12-0,
Ganguly 0.1-0-4-0.
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