Rex Clementine
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3rd Test: Sri Lanka v India at Colombo, 29 Aug-02 Sep 2001 Rex Clementine |
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India 1st innings:
Sri Lanka 1st innings: Pre-game: |
At the evening drinks break the home team are well ahead with a 34-run first innings lead with seven wickets still in hand.
At the crease are Russel Arnold on 11 and Mahela Jayawardene on 66 with their side on 268 for three. Soon after the tea break, Mahela Jayawardene showed how confident he was in facing the Indian bowlers by smashing the first ball after tea for a straight six off Sairaj Bahutule.
The 100-run partnership for the third wicket between Atapattu and Jayawardene came in 160 balls and 105 minutes. Soon after that Marvan Atapattu brought up his seventh Test hundred through an exquisite cover drive off Bahutule.
Atapattu who opened the Sri Lankan innings along with captain Sanath Jayasuriya looked a determined player right from the start and made sure that he wouldn’t give away his wicket in this crucial match after a getting a start.
Last time the Sri Lankan vice-captain went past the 50-run mark was eight innings ago that was in the first innings of the first Test against England in Galle six months ago.
Atapattu’s 100 came in 201 balls and 280 minutes with 11 hits to the rope.
In the same over, Mahela Jayawardene reached his 50 glancing Bahutule for a single. The 50 came in 75 balls and 115 minutes. This was Jayawardene’s 11th 50 in 33 matches.
Ganguly persisted with Harbhajan Singh. The Sri Lankans had everything under control before umpire David Orchard ruled Marvan Atapattu out to give Singh only his third wicket of the whole series.
Atapattu played forward and the ball wrapped on the Sri Lankan vice-captain’s pad and Shiv Sunder Das dived forward and held onto the ball. When the Indian fielders and bowler appealed umpire Orchard nodded his head in favour of the Indians.
Atapattu made 108 in 310 minutes and 228 balls with 11 fours. He and Jayawardene were involved in a 133-run partnership for the third wicket in 142 minutes. When he was dismissed Sri Lanka were 252.
Jayawardene, who came to the wicket with Sri Lanka on 119 for two after the fall of Sangakkara, batted superbly with Atapattu to take the home team’s total to a commanding 204 for two at tea. Jayawardene is unbeaten on 36 with Atapattu on 86, within sight of his seventh Test century.
One of the features of this Sri Lankan innings and particularly the third wicket partnership has been the ease with which the batsmen have countered Harbhajan Singh, who has now bowled 20 overs without success (20-2-69-0).
The pitch has not provided great assistance, which puts Muttiah Muralitharan’s astonishing performance yesterday into perspective, but Harbhajan has also bowled poorly, too frequently dropping short and bowling too flat.
Leggie Sairaj Bahutule was a greater threat, bowling at a slower pace and getting the ball to turn appreciably. However, he too remained wicket-less. Sourav Ganguly was eventually forced to turn to Hemang Badani, who bowled two maidens with his left arm spin before the interval.
Zaheer Khan continued to over pitch the ball and Atapattu continued to drive him through the covers in his classical high elbowed style. Prasad was more economical, but no more threatening.
India’s fielding started to show signs of weariness too. When Jayawardene set off for a quick single Ganguly had a chance to take the third wicket. Fielding at mid on, a direct hit would have dismissed Jayawardene. As it was, he missed and no one was backing up, so Sri Lanka picked up five runs. Somehow, it summed up their afternoon.
Straight after lunch Sangakkara took the attack to the Indian bowlers, particularly Zaheer Khan, who once again over pitched and was expensive, as he was driven through the covers for three boundaries, one of which brought up the fifty partnership off 131 balls.
Ganguly quickly replaced Khan with Venkatesh Prasad from the Press Box End, whilst leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule continued from the Tennis Court End.
Prasad immediately broke through, dismissing a disappointed Sangakkara. The left-hander flashed at a wide delivery and Hemang Badani at the second slip took a sharp catch. He had scored 47 off 100 balls and hit nine fours.
The pair had added 71 runs for the second wicket and Sri Lanka were 119 for two.
Ganguly then brought on Harbhajan Singh from the Tennis Court End in place of Bahutule (5-2-15-0) and in the same over Atapattu reached his first 50 for eight innings with a gentle single to mid on.
It was Atapattu’s eighth Test half century and came from 121 balls in just over three hours.
Since the loss of Sangakkara, Atapattu has raised the tempo of his innings and has started to strike the ball very cleanly. Jayawardene, playing on his home ground, has started with two boundaries off Harbhajan: a sweep and a delightful late cut.
At the interval Sangakkara was on 29 and Atapattu on 30. Marvan Atapattu, who has made a number of decent starts in the series (33,0*39 and 45) but has so far failed to convert them to big scores, looked particularly solid. He has faced 95 balls and hit two boundaries, including one regal cover drive of Venkatesh Prasad.
Left-handed Kumar Sangakkara cut loose early on, but as the innings progressed he settled down and played more watchfully. He has hit five fours, including two square cuts and a fine sweep off Harbhajan, plus two edges down to third man off the fast bowlers.
In fact, Sri Lanka added just 27 runs in the second hour of the morning, as Sourav Ganguly, bowling from the Press Box End (4-3-3-0), and Harbhajan Singh (11-1-25-0) bowled tightly.
Sangakkara did, however, enjoy one moment of fortune just before lunch when Sameer Dighe missed a regulation stumping chance off leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule’s first over of the match. Sangakkara, on 27 at the time, danced down the pitch, but played inside a straighter delivery. Yards out of his crease Dighe, fumbled twice to give Sangakkara time to get back into his crease.
Marvan Atapattu was on 23 while Kumar Sangakkara was batting on 11.
Sri Lanka had resumed on their overnight score of 13 without loss after Muttiah Muralitharan almost single-handedly bowled India out for 234 on Wednesday.
Zaheer Khan and Venkatesh Prasad opened the bowling this morning. Prasad bowled a tight two-over burst from the Tennis Court End before being replaced by Harbhajan Singh in the fifth over of the day. Khan frequently over pitched in his four over spell and was stroked for three fours.
Harbhajan was unlucky not to claim the wicket of Jayasuriya in his second over when the latter played forward defensively and the ball bounced up off his boot and was caught by Mohammed Kaif at silly point. Umpire David Orchard, however, refused to call for a television replay and adjudged that the ball had been played straight into the ground.
In the end it didn’t prove to be costly for India. Jayasuriya added just five more runs before he dragged a Prasad delivery onto his stumps in the first over of the Indian medium-pacer's second spell. Jayasuriya had scored 30 in 42 balls and hit four fours. Sri Lanka were 48 for one.
Since then Atapattu and Sangakkara have played confidently, without great alarm, although Sangakkara did edge a delivery just short and wide of second slip early on in his innings.
Sri Lanka brought up their 50 in 15.4 overs.
India who started impressively by putting up 97 runs for the first wicket, struggled against Murali as he claimed eight Indian wickets.
The other two wickets went to Chaminda Vaas.
The left-arm paceman who took his first wicket after lunch had his second when he had Harbhajan Singh leg-before. Harbhajan Singh playing back was beaten for pace and the ball rapped on Singh’s pad and the batsman was plumb in front. Singh made two in seven minutes and four balls.
Zaheer Khan was Muralitharan’s seventh wicket. Khan trying to work Murali on the on-side, top edged the ball straight into the hands of Mahela Jayawardene to be out for a duck. With that wicket Muralitharan became the man who has claimed the most number of wickets in an innings at SSC.
He finished off in style when he had Sairaj Bahuthule stumped by Kumar Sangakkara. The batsman trying to go for a big hit off Murali, missed the ball and Sangakkara took off the bails with the batsman’s feet on the line.
This was Murali’s second best bowling performance, after his career-best 9 for 65 against England at the Oval.
Thilan Samaraweera came in to bowl the first over after tea from the Press Box End. But the off-spinner gave away 11 runs in that over forcing skipper Sanath Jayasuriya to take him off in order to maintain the pressure. But his replacement, Dilhara Fernando provided little consolation, as he too was erratic.
Hemang Badani, who has been disappointing with the bat this series, made the most of the Sri Lankan lapses by smashing the bowlers through extra cover and backward of point.
Badani and Rahul Dravid had put on a useful partnership of 46 in 36 minutes for the fifth wicket and were looking set to take India to safety when Muralitharan struck. This time he removed danger man Dravid.
Dravid, who had looked solid in his knock, went forward to work Murali on the onside but only succeeded in guided the ball to Hashan Tillakaratne at leg slip. The Indian vice captain made 36 in 129 minutes and 85 balls with two fours.
India were on 192 when Dravid was dismissed. Murali struck again two balls later to send back wicketkeeper batsman Sameer Dighe without any addition to the score.
Dighe was trapped in front as he offered no stroke against Murali. He made a duck.
Dighe’s wicket completed Mutalitharan’s five-wicket haul and this is the 26th time the Tamil speaking off-spinner has done so. Only Sir Richard Hadlee and Ian Botham have taken more five-wicket hauls than him.
India’s 200 came in 69.5 overs and in 286 minutes with Badani on 35 and Sairaj Bahutule, playing in only his second Test, on two.
Just before the evening drinks break India lost Badani. Murali tempted the batsman to go for a drive and had him caught at gully by Hashan Tillakaratne. Dravid made 38 in 73 minutes and 56 balls with seven fours.
Murali who started bowling before the morning drinks break has bowled unchanged from the Tennis court End (30.4-9-76-6).
Mohammed Kaif was the only batsman to be dismissed in the second hour of the afternoon as he became Chaminda Vaas’s 150th Test wicket in the left-arm fast bowler's 51st Test.
Dravid remains at the crease having batted for 105 minutes for his 21 runs. Hemang Badani is on six, but has already hit Muralitharan for a majestic on driven four against the spin.
Muralitharan has bowled non-stop since being brought on to bowl in the 14th over of the innings (24-7-53-3).
Kaif was caught behind by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara, as he tried to drive through the covers. He looked surprised on being given out but replays showed a clear deflection. He made 14 in 42 balls with two fours. India were 146 for four.
India’s 150 came in the 60th over.
India who resumed on 91 without loss, looked well set for a huge first innings total, but Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed the wickets of Sadagoppan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das and skipper Sourav Ganguly in the hour.
Right-arm fast bowler Dulip Liyanage bowled the first over after lunch and his first ball rapped Ramesh on the pads, but umpire Asoka Silva rightly ruled in favour of the batsman.
It took only four overs after lunch for Sri Lanka to make the breakthrough.
Shiv Sunder Das who had batted sensibly for his 59, suddenly lost his head as he charged down the wicket to hit Muralitharan over the top. However, the opener failed to make contact with the ball and was clean bowled. He made 59 from 111 balls with 10 fours.
India were 97 for one at that stage and it took them only a further nine deliveries to get to the 100 mark with Ramesh and Rahul Dravid at the middle.
Dilhara Fernando was the first change after lunch. He came in place of Dulip Liyanage (4-0-13-0) and immediately bowled a wide down the leg side. The fast bowler though settled down soon to bowl a good line and length.
Ramesh once again failed to capitalise on a good start (the left-hander has had scores of 42, 02, 47 and 45 in his previous four innings) and once again missed out on the half-century, as he was caught at first slip whilst trying to drive Muralitharan through the off side for 46. India were 115 for two.
Skipper Sourav Ganguly, who scored a unbeaten match winning 98 in Kandy in the second Test, made just one before he was controversially adjudged lbw by South Africa umpire David Orchard. Ganguly came down the wicket, but opted to pad the ball away at the last moment. Muralitharan appealed immediately and Orchard raised his finger.
Ganguly had scored just one and India were 119 for three having lost three wickets for 22 runs.
Mohammad Kaif has now joined Dravid at the wicket. Ganguly had scored just one and India were 119 for three having lost three wickets for 22 runs.
Mohammad Kaif has now joined star batsman Rahul Dravid at the wicket.
Both Ramesh and Das handled the Sri Lankan three-man pace attack and the spin of Muralitharan and Thilan Samaraweera confidently, denying the Sri Lankan bowlers any success while defying the curator's prediction that this track will be ideal for fast bowlers.
The trio of Chaminda Vaas, Dulip Liyanage and Dilhara Fernando failed to provide the goods in the morning session, as they bowled too short and gave too much of width to the Indian openers.
At lunch, Das was looking solid on 57 runs with 10 fours while Ramesh was on 30 with three fours.
Vaas came in for his third spell in the morning in place of Dilhara Fernando (5-1-13-1) from the Press Box End.
Muralitharan bowled unchanged throughout the second hour from the Tennis Court End.
The off-spinner found the edge of Ramesh’s bat, but the ball fell short of first slip. That was the closest chance the Sri Lankans had all morning. In fact, the first genuine appeal only came in the penultimate over of the session.
Das reached his fifty, the first of the tour, when he drove Muralitharan for four past a diving mid-on fieldsman. His sixth Test fifty came in 89 deliveries with ten boundaries.
Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya desperate to make a breakthrough in the first session, introduced the spin of Thilan Samaraweera for first time in Test match cricket just before the interval, but he too was unable to break through.
Das has scored a particularly aggressive 35, which included seven boundaries, while Ramesh is on 18.
Dulip Liyanage took the new ball with Chaminda Vaas ahead of Dilhara Fernando.
Liyanage bowled tightly, hitting the deck hard, and extracting considerable movement off the seam. Chaminda Vaas was disappointing. He failed to swing the ball and was guilty of bowling too short in both his spells in the first hour.
Vaas (4-0-11-0) was replaced by Dilhara Fernando on the ninth over of the morning. He was brought back from the Tennis Court End after Dulip Liyanage’s initial spell of (5-2-19-0), but was hooked and cut for two boundaries by Das.
Jayasuriya promptly replaced him with Muttiah Muralitharan in the 14th over of the innings. Muralitharan, though, couldn't stem the flow of run. He was immediately hit for two boundaries, as Das signalled his intention to take the attack to the offspinner. He drove Muralitharan’s second delivery straight down the ground and then swept him.
Sri Lanka have made two changes from the side, which lost the second Test Match at Kandy by seven wickets. All rounder Thilan Samaraweera makes his debut at his home ground, in place of fast bowling all rounder Suresh Perera.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Dulip Liyanage, 29, makes his Test comeback after being in the wilderness for eight years. The last of his eight Tests was played against India in Lucknow in 1994.
Left arm paceman Ruchira Perera has been dropped.
India are convinced that the wicket will turn appreciably by the third day and they have brought in leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule, 29, in place of fast bowler Harvinder Singh.
The SSC pitch generally helps the fast bowlers on the first day and the curator has promised plenty of "pace and bounce".
This is the 18th Test Match played at SSC and Sri Lanka have won five of them losing five. Seven matches have ended in draws.
Last time a Test was played here, England beat Sri Lanka by four wickets to win the series 2-1.
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Date-stamped : 30 Aug2001 - 22:32