VVS Laxman scored his 16th Test hundred and battled the pressure of a fourth-innings chase as well as a back injury to guide India to a five-wicket, series-levelling win over Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval here on Saturday.
The stylish right-hander scored a graceful unbeaten 103 to seal a memorable win — India’s fourth-highest successful chase in Tests. Sachin Tendulkar made a vital 54 and young Suresh Raina hit an aggressive 41, besides finishing the match in style with a huge six over long-on, to help tie draw the three-match series 1-1.
India first toured Sri Lanka in 1986, and it wasn’t until 1993, under the captaincy of Mohammad Azharuddin that they actually managed to win a series here. That victory remains India’s only series win on Sri Lankan soil. The last time India toured the Emerald Isle, in 2008, Ajantha Mendis had wreaked havoc to hand his side a 2-1 win in the three-match series. Keeping that loss in mind, India’s show this time around, in the absence of Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth and after being 0-1 down, speaks volumes of their fighting spirit.
The task wasn’t easy for Laxman, though, as the wicket was turning square and the target of 257 was tougher than it looked on paper. India lost all their second innings wickets to two-Test rookie Suraj Randiv. Laxman rolled back the years and never got bogged down. He used his wrists, as supple as ever, to flick, glance and drive at will.
A back injury did take its toll on Laxman but it didn’t come in the way of his mission. He fought it by downing pain killers even as team physio Nitin Patel did his bit. In fact, Laxman scored his 43 runs with the help of a runner in Virender Sehwag.
Sehwag’s presence turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Laxman simply found the gaps while Sehwag and Raina timed their runs to perfection. Perhaps Laxman, who’s not exactly young anymore, would have never gone for those risky singles.
Raina, playing his second Test, certainly deserves praise for his effort. The southpaw didn’t falter and played a mature knock by giving the right support to Laxman. Every now and then, Raina kept hitting a boundary and that put the hosts on the backfoot.
Earlier, night watchman Ishant Sharma succumbed to Randiv by gifting a catch to Kumar Sangakkara at short-leg. However, Laxman and Tendulkar took charge with a 109-run stand for the fifth wicket.
The pair mixed caution with aggression and Sangakkara soon went into a defensive mode. Tillakaratne Dilshan dropped one when Tendulkar was on 13.
Sangakkara’s ploy to bring on Mendis didn’t work. Laxman, who had been dismissed by the spinner quite a few times, was more cautious this time around. Both he and Tendulkar handled Mendis with ease.
