Day 1 Report

Aravinda de Silva and Asanka Gurusinha launched a superb top-order recovery to take Sri Lanka to 155 for two at tea on the first day of the third Test against India on Wednesday. De Silva thrashed 11 boundaries in an unbeaten 80 and Gurusinha made 54 not out with eight fours in an unbroken 126-run third wicket partnership. Both batted sensibly to defy India's three leading spinners to add 90 runs in the post-lunch session.

De Silva continuing from his disciplined innings of 93 in the second test produced another solid knock that helped steady Sri Lanka's innings from a disappointing 29 for 2. De Silva reached his 10th half-century in 100 minutes and off 99 balls. The left-handed Gurusinha completed his half-century in 173 minutes to end a run of poor scores in the past 12 innings. He had earlier lofted left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju for a six over long-off.

Day 2 Report

India got off to a cautious start after openers Manoj Prabhakar and Navjot Sidhu were pinned down by tight bowling from Sri Lanka on the second day of the third Test on Thursday. Prabhakar and Sidhu each scored five boundaries as they put on 84 runs in an unbroken stand that took India to 84 for no loss at close. Prabhakar made 37 in 131 balls and Sidhu was on 39 after a 150-minute association against a local attack that suddenly turned lively after a poor performance in the second Test.

The match enters an interesting third day Saturday after Friday's rest day, with Sri Lanka's off-spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Jayananda Warnaweera bound to extract the maximum from a wicket already showing appreciable turn. Muralitharan in fact lost an opportunity to make the initial breakthrough when Asanka Gurusinha dropped Prabhakhar at silly point on 27 with the total on 64. Both openers were tied down at the outset by some tidy bowling from seamers Pramodya Wickramasinghe and Chandika Hathurusinghe. At one point the opening pair saw through four successive maiden overs before Sidhu cracked Hathurusinghe to the cover boundary.

India scored slowly and took 40 overs to reach 84 but the presence of the two openers should give the tourists ample confidence in their search for a big first innings total. In contrast to the dull final session, the previous two sessions provided the day's excitement with Sri Lanka once again collapsing from a well-placed 281 for 4. It was off- spinner Rajesh Chauhan who revelled most returning the best figures of 3 for 59 to help India bowl out Sri Lanka for 351 just over an hour after lunch.

Resuming from an overnight 226 for 4, Sri Lanka lost four wickets for 28 runs before wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharne and Muttiah Muralitharan (7) added 38 runs during an enterprising ninth wicket stand. Chauhan took the wickets of left-handers Sanath Jayasuriya (0), Hashan Tillekeratne (56), and right-handed tail-ender Pramodya Wickramasinghe for a duck after overnight batsman Aravinda de Silva made a superb 148 in the morning session. De Silva, continuing from 118, made 30 more runs before he fell to leg-spinner Anil Kumble. De Silva flicked one from Kumble but only succeeded in sending a catch to Venkatapathy Raju at mid wicket. He returned to the pavilion to the burst of fire- crackers from the small crowd present at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium and after sharing in a 99-run fifth partnership with Hashan Tillekeratne. De Silva had 17 boundaries and two sixers in his 391-minute innings.

Tillekeratne became Chauhan's second victim when he tried to push the ball away and was bowled shortly after reaching his fifth test half-century with eight fours. Kaluwitharne, who stormed into the cricket scene with a century against Australia in his debut, made a battling 40 with six boundaries. Kaluwitharne departed after facing an acrimonious 26th over from veteran paceman Kapil Dev.

The umpires ruled Kaluwitharne not out after the Indian fielders appealed for a hit wicket after the right-hander had pulled Dev for the second of two succesive boundaries. But two balls later Dev's opening partner Manoj Prabhakar bowled Kaluwitharne to end the partnership. Dev finished off Sri Lanka's tail by bowling Muralitharan and claiming his 425th wicket. The 34-year-old needs six more scalps to equal New Zealander Richard Hadlee's world record of 431 wickets.

Day 3 Report

Vinod Kambli and Sachin Tendulkar flayed Sri Lanka's bowling attack to pile on 162 runs for the third wicket at tea on the third day of the third Test on Saturday. Tendulkar was dismissed for 71 with the last ball before tea as India reached a commanding 271 for three. Both batsmen tore the local attack to shreds with a wide array of shots. Kambli, who has been having a fine tour, was unbeaten on 80 at tea, which included 11 boundaries.

It was the third century stand between the two for the third wicket after similar batting displays against England in the third Test and in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe earlier in the year. Tendulkar at one stage cracked two boundaries off the medium-paced off-cutter Jayananda Warnaweera in one over and then plundered two successive fours off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to reach his half- century in 136 minutes.

The third wicket pair scored almost a run-a-minute in the post-lunch session and were only subdued for a while when Kambli escaped a stumping chance off Muralitharan at 53. The three-hour-twenty-minute stand ended when Tendulkar, trying to drive medium-pacer Chandika Hathurusinghe, edged a catch to skipper Arjuna Ranatunga at gully. The right-handed Tendulkar had 10 boundaries in his 152-ball innings.

Day 4 Report

Struggling Sri Lanka were engaged in a run-crawl in a bid to stay alive on the fourth day of the third test on Sunday. At close, Sri Lanka had erased a 95-run deficit by scoring 132 for 1 at close in 250 minutes of batting in their second innings. Opener Roshan Mahanama finally regained his form against India making an unbeaten 67 with eight boundaries. He first put on 75 runs with opener Chandika Hathurusinghe (22) and added 57 more runs for an unbroken second wicket with left-hander Asanka Gurusinha who made 34 not out.

The drab performance by Sri Lanka was only overshadowed by an incident concerning Indian pace bowler Manoj Prabhakar who was questioned by umpire B. C. Cooray after an examination of the ball. In the bowler's ninth over, Cooray once inspected the condition of the ball before speaking to Prabhakar and vice-captain Sachin Tendulkar who was acting for indisposed skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. Television replays showed Cooray making a careful examination of the ball. The ball was later inspected by Australian match referee Peter Burge.

But the umpires would not be drawn into controversy. ``There is nothing to worry about,'' Cooray told reporters when asked if Prabhakar had tampered with the ball. Burge also refused comment. Officials from both the Indian and Sri Lankan team management were not immediately available for comment on the incident involving Prabhakar. Play was further marred when Prabhakar glared at umpire Cooray who turned down an appeal for leg-before against Mahanama making Cooray to have a few words with Prabhakar once again.

Relations between the two sides have already been strained following accusations of sledging and dissent by Indian players in the second test. Burge had asked the two teams to conduct themselves properly on the field following a meeting between the two sides after the second test.

Earlier off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan claimed four wickets for 19 runs to help Sri Lanka bowl out India for 446, a first innings lead of 95 runs over the home side. Azharuddin, who is suffering from a bout of influenza, could add just three runs to his overnight 47 before departing for 50 in the first over from Muralitharan. The off-spinner finished with figures of 4 for 136.

The extent of Sri Lanka's stubborn batting display is reflected by the fact that they took just over three hours to erase the 95-run deficit. With just one more day remaining, Sri Lanka can only play for a draw after entering the match with hopes of equalising the three test series. India lead the series 1-0 with a 235-win in the second test. The first test was abandoned as a draw due to rain.

Day 5 Report

India clinch controversial series

Sri Lanka and India drew the third and final Test in Colombo with players from both sides trading accusations. The home side who started the final day 1 0 down in the series and on 132 1 finished on 352 6 having trailed India by 96 runs on the first innings.

But the cricket was marred by more ill feeling between players with allegations rife about ball tampering sledging and damaging the wicket.

Contributed by goo-chie (jdw5@*.ukc.ac.uk)