Second Test a dull draw

Dilanka MANNAKKARA

With nearly 1500 runs scored and only 17 wickets falling on a pitch tailor made for the batsmen, the second Test match between Sri Lanka and India at the SSC ground ended in a dull draw.

Sri Lanka declared their innings with the score on 129 for 3 wickets and the match was called off by both Captains with 15 overs left in the days play.

The last session of the day provided some assistance for the spinners which otherwise proved to be a bowlers grave yard.

The last pair of Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha, who had offered resistance in the defeat in Galle, repeated the feat with much more ease and kept the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay for 27 overs on the final morning. The vigil led India to their highest score in an overseas Test in what was also their longest innings away from home in terms of overs faced.

Sharma and Ojha were largely at ease facing Ajantha Mendis and Dilshan and the runs came in the form of singles. The pair was frustrating Sri Lanka for a long time before Dilhara Fernando dismissed Ojha who was caught by an extremely relieved Sangakkara as India were finally dismissed for a mammoth total of 707 which was the highest score ever scored by an overseas team in Sri Lanka.

The pitch which was an absolute nightmare for the bowlers proved itself once more as Suraj Randiv recorded the worst bowling figures ever by a debutant beating Australian off spinner Jason Krejza’s figures of 8 wickets for 215 runs against India in 2008.

Randiv’s figures of 73 overs, 2 wickets for 222 runs was also the record for the most number of overs bowled by a debutant.

The start to the Sri Lankan second innings, however, gave little indication that India’s bowlers would do better but the spinners caused a lot of problems for the Sri Lankan batsmen.

Dilshan was in his usual explosive mode and was trying to get some runs under his belt after he missed a golden opportunity of making a big one in the first innings. However Dilshan yet again was out for a mistimed pull shot off Mithun for 14 runs.

Paranawithana who scored two consecutive centuries edged one to the slip cordon of the bowling of Harbhajan Singh only to be caught by Laxman. The in form Mahela Jayawardena was cautious from the start and was beaten by both Harbhajan and Ojha and almost got out to Harbhajan when he top edged a sweep shot, but Mithun’s judgemental error saved him.

However Mahela was done by the flight and turn of Sehwag as he was caught on the pads though replays suggested the ball would have missed leg stump.

Skipper Sangakkara although not scoring in his usual elegant mode laboured through for a well made unbeaten 42 and Thilan Samaraweera who had trouble in negotiating the Indian bowlers remained not out on 10 and the match ended in an absolute stalemate as Sri Lanka declared their innings on 129 for 3 wickets.

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[ Records produced at the second test]

* Highest total scored by an opposition team in Sri Lanka - 707

* Fourth time in the Test match history that both teams scored over 600 runs in one match.

* Highest Indian partnership involving a debutant - 256 – (Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina) (Previous 220 - Sachin and Sehwag on Sehwag’s debut).

* The 19th occasion Sachin has scored over 150 in 168 matches equaling Brian Lara’s record of 19 in 138 matches.

* The first Indian to score 1000 or more runs in Sri Lanka – Sachin.

* Highest individual score by an Indian - 203 by Sachin Tendulkar surpassing Virender Sehwag’s 201 in Galle, 2008.

* Suraj Randiv’s figures of 2 wickets for 222 runs in 77 overs made him the highest number of runs given by a bowler on debut ever surpassing Australian Off Spinner Jason Krejza’s record of 8 for 215 runs against India.

SRI LANKA                        1st innings: 
642-4 declared 

INDIA 1st innings 
(overnight 669-9)
M. Vijay lbw b Mendis			 58
V. Sehwag st P. Jayawardene b Randiv	 99
R. Dravid lbw b Randiv			 3
S. Tendulkar c P. Jayawardene b Dilshan	203
V. Laxman lbw b Mendis			 29
S. Raina c Sangakkara b Mendis		120
M. Dhoni c and b Dilshan		 76
H. Singh c Sangakkara b Dilshan		  0
A. Mithun b Mendis			 41
I. Sharma c Sangakkara b Fernando	 27
P. Ojha not out				 18
Extras: (b9, lb7, w4, nb13)		 33
TOTAL (all out, 225.2 overs)		707
Fall of wickets: 1-165 , 2-169, 3-173, 4-241, 5-497, 6-592, 7-592, 8-643, 9-668, 1-707.
Bowling: Prasad 22-2-101-0 (nb5), Fernando 31.2-1-116-1 (nb5, w3), Mathews 9-1-24-0 (w1), 
Randiv 73-16-222-2, Mendis 63-10-172-4 (nb3), Dilshan 27-6-56-3.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings

T. Paranavitana c Laxman b Harbhajan	34
T. Dilshan c Sharma b Mithun		14
K. Sangakkara not out			42
M. Jayawardene lbw b Sehwag		 5
T. Samaraweera not out			10
Extras: (b8, lb8, nb8)			24
TOTAL (for three wickets, 45 overs)	129
Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Dilshan), 2-73 (Paranavitana), 3-97 (Jayawardene).
Bowling: Mithun 6-1-17-1, Sharma 4-0-31-0 (nb7), Sehwag 9-1-17-1 (nb1), 
Harbhajan 13-0-35-1, Ojha 13-5-13-0.