The Gopalan Trophy finally got underway at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo today. With two entire days lost due to bad weather the chances of an outright victory for either side remained slim. However the Trophy can be decided on the first innings score. On the evidence of today, Colombo District Cricket Association look well set to secure a first innings victory after a fine all-round bowling performance.
CDCA took control of the match in the morning, when they reduced Tamil Nadu to 82 for 6 at the luncheon interval. When two further wickets fell soon after lunch, the visitors were in desperate trouble on 99 for 8. However a spirited 59 run ninth wicket partnership between S. Mahesh (41) and Balaji Rao (26) ensured some respectability. Tamil Nadu were eventually bowled out for 168. When bad light stopped play for the day CDCA were 82 for 2, still 86 runs behind.
In reply to the visitors first innings score, CDCA opened with Jehan Mubarak (14) and Ian Daniels (28*). The opening pair, who had put on 96 runs to win the FC De Saram Trophy match on Tuesday, again started the innings well. However, having added 27 runs, Jehan Mubarak was caught at point off full-blooded cut.
Chandika Haturasinghe (17) came to the wicket and was hit on the head soon after by S. Mahesh. Having survived the inevitable succession of short deliveries that followed thereafter, Haturasinghe was stumped soon after the introduction of Ashish Kapoor with the score on 52. The Tamil Nadu captain an off-spinner then bowled to the close. Turning the ball sharply he troubled both the Colombo batsmen, as did Balaji Rao with his quick leg spin. Indeed Ian Daniels was lucky to be dropped off him in the slips, just moments before the close.
Earlier in the day the CDCA captain, Hashan Tillakaratne, opted to field first having won the toss. He did so despite the fact that CDCA picked only one frontline fast bowler, Ruchira Perera, who responded well to the responsibility by bowling both Badrinath (0) and Ramesh (7) in his opening spell.
The ploy worked thanks to some canny medium pace by Chandika Haturasinghe, who extracted movement in both directions, and some testing bowling by Colombo’s quartet of spinners: Malintha Warnapura, Rangana Herath, Malinga Bandara and Tilan Samarweera.
S. Mahesh rescued the innings with support from Balaji Rao. The two players took the attack to the Colombo spinners. Prepared to use their feet and hit over the top, they were able to wrestle some initiative back in an entertaining passage of play.
Were it not for their partnership, Tamil Nadu would surely have already lost this match. As it is they still have a chance tomorrow, especially if their spinners bowl as well as they did in the fading light tonight.
© CricInfo
| Teams | India, Sri Lanka. |
| Players/Umpires | Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Haturasinghe, Hashan Tillakaratne, Aashish Kapoor. |
| Tours | Tamil Nadu in Sri Lanka |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Results - Forthcoming Desktop Scoreboard |
|
|
|
||||||
| |||
|
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
|
