Sri Lanka surge ahead after looking down and out
If the first session of the fourth day’s play between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in the third Test match belonged to India, then the rest of the day was won by the hosts.
At one stage at the end of the first session of the fourth day’s play, it looked like the Indians were going to finish off the game today itself. However, some gritty batting by Thilan Samaraweera in the company of the lower-order, followed by Suraj Randiv’s excellent spell of bowling with the new ball ensured that the Sri Lankan side will go into the fifth day as favourites to wrap it up.
The day began with the Lankans at 45/2 and looking to build on a lead over the Indians. The overnight pair of Kumar Sangakkara and night-watchman Randiv continued from where they had left off earlier, and added 18 runs to the total before Randiv was dropped by captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028. Fortunately for the bowler Pragyan Ojha, the batsman failed to add a single run and was declared LBW by the umpire off the very next delivery.
In walked Mahela Jayawardene, and it was expected to be the most important pairing of the innings for the hosts. Instead, a struggling Jayawardene edged the ball from Ojha to the slips where http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid took a simple catch, while Sangakkara’s long vigil of 28 runs ended when he pulled a short delivery from the same bowler to the square-leg.
Sri Lanka was 78/5 and needed someone to bat more positively. As it turned out, Angelo Mathews’ intent lasted all of nine balls before he and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Prasanna-Jayawardene-c82537 departed off successive balls to leave the Lankans precariously placed at 87/7.
The recovery came in the form of Thilan Samaraweera and Lasith Malinga, who looked unruffled by the Indian spinners. Malinga hung around for 15, and the pair added 38 runs. At this stage the pitch looked to have died down, and the spinners looked like they had suddenly lost the fizz. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajantha-c42419 Mendis joined Samaraweera and took full toll of this. They did not offer a single chance to the now-tiring Indian attack and smashed half centuries each.
By the time the pair had been separated, they had almost doubled the total from 125/8 to 243/9 and finally ended on 267. Samaraweera looked comfortable for his 83, while Mendis scored 78.
Set a target of 257 for a win, the Indians lost their main batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035 battled on and added 22 before Vijay was dubiously given out, caught in the leg-slip off the same bowler.
India ended the day on 53/3 and with more than 200 to score on the last day’s wearing pitch, things looks much stiffer for them since the end of the first session today.
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