Can India turn it on?
Written By
C Rajshekhar Rao
| Updated:
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath scalps five after hosts amass 642; Lanka 66/1 at stumps; a lot depends on Harbhajan and Ojha today.
Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath’s success may have given pleasure to his teammates but also hope to the Indians. The home side, after all, have the buffer of a 642-run first innings total and help for spinners — or any kind of bowler for that matter — is only going to help their cause from hereon in the second Test.
Herath’s five-for effort looked a precursor of things to come as a hint of spin and the odd delivery keeping low on the second day led to a change in demeanour of the Indians.
Herath, a finger spinner with the ability of turning the ball both ways, helped restrict the Indians when 700 was a reasonable prediction after an overnight 417 for two. In reply, Sri Lanka were 66 for one at the end of the second day’s play.
A close-in cordon of up to five fielders for Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and debutant Pragyan Ojha was a testimony of their belief after Zaheer Khan gave a good account of himself with the new ball.
His first-ball dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan though was an early bonus, as the opener waded outside the leg-stump — looking for the kind of runs that come easy in Twenty20 cricket — only to find a leading edge that was taken joyously by Ojha at mid-on.
Earlier, the highlight of the Indian innings remained the batting of Rahul Dravid, who notched up his second consecutive Test century — his 28th in Tests — with a rasping off drive off Chanaka Welegedara. His first century at the Green Park Stadium here was important considering India were aiming for 700 but eventually fell short by 58 runs.
He is now ninth in the list of centurions headed by none other than Sachin Tendulkar (43) and one shy of Sir Donald Bradman’s 29, which remained a landmark for decades before a host of modern-day batsmen overtook the Aussie.
Overnight on 85, Dravid went on to score 144 with 15 fours and a six. He was unlucky to be run-out backing too much as the ball hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end off bowler Herath’s hand when VVS Laxman hit a straight drive. Dravid’s overnight partner Sachin Tendulkar had departed earlier, probably not enjoying the challenge of piercing through a defensive field.
He started the day by getting a lot of deliveries well outside the off-stump to a spread-out field, a feature that was to remain so through the innings with four men manning the boundary as a norm. Surviving a chance on 30 and still failing to get the ball past the fence for close to two hours, Tendulkar smashed Ajantha Mendis for a six to long-off for his only boundary hit.
However, in the next over, Tendulkar perished on 40 while trying to jump out to the bowler too often. He was caught wide mid-off by Thilan Samaraweera. Laxman (65) and Yuvraj Singh (67), surviving a close shout each for leg-before, were among the runs later in the day.
MS Dhoni’s pre-meditated footwork failed him against some precise bowling and he was bowled between bat and pad with a fine delivery from Herath that came in. Herath also dismissed Harbhajan in similar fashion and eventually finished with five wickets.
The lower order was dealt without laxity and the innings folded up just after tea, which had been taken at 639-7.
Herath’s five-for effort looked a precursor of things to come as a hint of spin and the odd delivery keeping low on the second day led to a change in demeanour of the Indians.
Herath, a finger spinner with the ability of turning the ball both ways, helped restrict the Indians when 700 was a reasonable prediction after an overnight 417 for two. In reply, Sri Lanka were 66 for one at the end of the second day’s play.
A close-in cordon of up to five fielders for Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and debutant Pragyan Ojha was a testimony of their belief after Zaheer Khan gave a good account of himself with the new ball.
His first-ball dismissal of Tillakaratne Dilshan though was an early bonus, as the opener waded outside the leg-stump — looking for the kind of runs that come easy in Twenty20 cricket — only to find a leading edge that was taken joyously by Ojha at mid-on.
Earlier, the highlight of the Indian innings remained the batting of Rahul Dravid, who notched up his second consecutive Test century — his 28th in Tests — with a rasping off drive off Chanaka Welegedara. His first century at the Green Park Stadium here was important considering India were aiming for 700 but eventually fell short by 58 runs.
He is now ninth in the list of centurions headed by none other than Sachin Tendulkar (43) and one shy of Sir Donald Bradman’s 29, which remained a landmark for decades before a host of modern-day batsmen overtook the Aussie.
Overnight on 85, Dravid went on to score 144 with 15 fours and a six. He was unlucky to be run-out backing too much as the ball hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end off bowler Herath’s hand when VVS Laxman hit a straight drive. Dravid’s overnight partner Sachin Tendulkar had departed earlier, probably not enjoying the challenge of piercing through a defensive field.
He started the day by getting a lot of deliveries well outside the off-stump to a spread-out field, a feature that was to remain so through the innings with four men manning the boundary as a norm. Surviving a chance on 30 and still failing to get the ball past the fence for close to two hours, Tendulkar smashed Ajantha Mendis for a six to long-off for his only boundary hit.
However, in the next over, Tendulkar perished on 40 while trying to jump out to the bowler too often. He was caught wide mid-off by Thilan Samaraweera. Laxman (65) and Yuvraj Singh (67), surviving a close shout each for leg-before, were among the runs later in the day.
MS Dhoni’s pre-meditated footwork failed him against some precise bowling and he was bowled between bat and pad with a fine delivery from Herath that came in. Herath also dismissed Harbhajan in similar fashion and eventually finished with five wickets.
The lower order was dealt without laxity and the innings folded up just after tea, which had been taken at 639-7.