Murali gets closer to 800
Chris DHAMBARAGE reporting from Galle
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Muttiah Muralitharan (C) is congratulated by teammates after
dismissing unseen Indian batsman Abhimanyu Mithun. AFP
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Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan engineered another Indian batting
collapse and inched towards his dream of capturing 800 wickets as Sri
Lanka dominated the fourth days play in the opening test match which
continued at the Galle International Stadium yesterday.
The legendary off spinner playing in his 133rd and farewell test
match ran through the Indian late order batting and went on to claim his
67 five wicket haul an amazing performance indeed.
As a result India had the ignominy of batting for the second time as
they fell short by 45 runs from averting the follow on mark. But at one
stage it looked as if the visitors would get closer to Sri Lanka’s
massive total when the overnight batsmen Sehwag and Laxman continued
with the good work.
In fact Sehwag raced to a splendid one hundred from 118 deliveries
and with the help of one six and 19 boundaries. Together with Laxman the
pair put on a third wicket partnership of 68 runs.
However soon after Sehwag had completed his hundred the dashing
opener lost his concentration and chased a wild delivery and was snapped
up by Tharanga Paranavithana at first slip off Welagedera.
There was another brief resistance from the Indian sixth wicket pair
of Yuvraj Singh and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who held on
determinedly to add 74 runs. But the introduction of Muttiah
Muralitharan in the 46th over certainly changed the complexion of the
game from there onwards.
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Murali apeals for another wicket. Picture by Mahinda
vithanachchi |
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Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag cuts on his way to a century.
Picture by Mahinda vithanachchi |
The veteran off spinner came into his own on a typical Galle Stadium
pitch as India lost their last five wickets for the addition of just 24
runs within the space of ten overs. The manner in which he dismissed
skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were simply outstanding.
Sri Lanka then made early inroads into the Indian top order in the
second innings with Lasith Malinga striking with his third delivery of
the innings. His new ball partner Welagedera then dismissed the first
innings centurion Virender Sehwag to leave India at 42 for 2.
However India’s two most experienced players Sachin Tendulakar and
Rahul Dravid defied the Sri Lankan spinners for over three hours while
putting on a century stand for the third wicket.
But a clever bowling change from skipper Kumar Sangakkara brought Sri
Lanka back into the game during the final session. Lasith Malinga came
back into the attack while replacing Herath and the speed star struck in
his very first over of a new spell while removing the stubborn Rahul
Dravid.
The Indian number three struck three boundaries and put on 119 runs
for the third wicket along with Sachin Tendulkar. However Malinga
brought an end to Tendulkar’s promising innings with another fantastic
delivery to leave India at 172 for 4.
Tendulkar hoisted one six and struck eleven boundaries while
occupying the crease for 168 minutes. Muralitharan then moved two
wickets away from achieving his goal of capturing 800 wickets by
removing Yuvraj Singh in the last over of the day.
India finished their second innings at 181 for 5 and they are still
trailing by 63 runs with five second innings wickets in hand.
SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS
520-8 declared
(T. Paranavitana 111, K. Sangakkara 103,
R. Herath 80 not out, L. Malinga 64, A.
Mithun 4-105, I. Sharma 3-145)
INDIA 1ST INNINGS
(overnight 140-3):
G. Gambhir lbw b Malinga 2
V. Sehwag c Paranavitana b Welegedara.. 109
R. Dravid run out 18
S. Tendulkar lbw b Muralitharan 8
V. Laxman c Dilshan b Malinga 22
Y. Singh c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 52
M. Dhoni b Muralitharan 33
H. Singh st P. Jayawardene b Herath 2
I. Sharma not out 5
P. Ojha c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 3
A. Mithun b Muralitharan 8
Extras: (b1, lb1, w2, nb10) 14
Total (all out, 65 overs) 276
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Gambhir), 2-68 (Dravid), 3-101 (Tendulkar),
4-169 (Sehwag), 5-178 (Laxman), 6-252 (Dhoni), 7-259 (Yuvraj),
8-259 (Harbhajan), 9-266 (Ojha), 10-276 (Mithun).
Bowling: Malinga 13-0-55-2 (nb4),
Welegedara 11-1-69-1 (nb5, w1),
Herath 18-1-62-1 (nb1),
Mathews 5-0-19-0 (w1),
Muralitharan 17-1-63-5,
Dilshan 1-0-6-0.
India 2nd innings
G. Gambhir c P. Jayawardene b Malinga 0
V. Sehwag c M. Jayawardene b Welegedara 31
R. Dravid c Sangakkara b Malinga 44
S. Tendulkar lbw b Malinga 84
V. Laxman not out 9
Y. Singh c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 5
Extras: (lb3, w1, nb4) 8
Total (for five wickets, 59.3 overs) 181
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gambhir), 2-42 (Sehwag), 3-161 (Dravid),
4-172 (Tendulkar), 5-181 (Yuvraj).
Bowling: Malinga 9-2-33-3 (nb2),
Welegedara 6-1-26-1 (nb1),
Herath 14-2-27-0 (nb1),
Mathews 7-3-13-0 (w1),
Muralitharan 18.3-1-57-1,
Dilshan 5-0-22-0. |
