Murali dismisses Tendulkar, edges towards 800th Test wicket
Muttiah Muralitharan has edged closer to reaching the 800-wicket mark in his final Test after Sri Lanka finally declared their first innings with the score on 520-8 at tea on day three to leave http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 with a formidable run-chase in Galle.
When play resumed on day three, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 claimed his first wicket of the match, but the unlikely duo of Lasith Malinga (64) and Rangana Herath (80 not out) combined to tip the total over the 500-run mark before Kumar Sangakkara decided it was time for India to begin their chase.
The visitors made an inauspicious start to their daunting task, with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 trapped in front for a duck on just the second ball of the innings, handing Malinga his first Test wicket in his first appearance in whites since December 2007.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Muttiah-Muralitharan-c78157, sent down his first deliveries of his final Test.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virender-Sehwag-c95429 gave Murali one over to settle in before launching his attack on the 38-year-old in the next, sending a doosra to the boundary and the next delivery over it, but when Sachin Tendulkar looked to join the party – or spoil it, depending on your perspective – it was the bowler who had the last laugh, as he sent Test cricket’s greatest run-scorer back to the pavilion for eight, trapped lbw attempting a sweep shot.
Tendulkar’s was the last wicket to fall before stumps on day three, and India will tomorrow resume their innings on 140-3 as Murali seeks to add seven more wickets to what has so far been a 793-wicket Test career.
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