India show fight but Jayawardene saves Sri Lanka
Charlie Austin - 22 August 2001
Most sensible commentators interpreted Sourav Ganguly's pre-match
claims that "morale was good" and that "there was no reason to be
down" as a valiant but forlorn attempt to save an injury ravaged team
from total combustion. India had been soundly beaten on a grassy pitch
in Galle and now faced a cocksure Sri Lankan unit, without their
premier strike bowler, on an even livelier looking surface at Asgiriya
International Stadium.
The Indian captain, however, proved as good as his word. The tourists,
perhaps boosted by the good fortune promised by Lord Ganesh's Pooja,
played themselves back into this three-match series as they grabbed
the initiative in this crucial second Test by reducing the home side
to 274 for nine at the close. There is still a very long way to go and
Sri Lanka's total is already competitive, but their day still
surpassed the modest expectations of many.
Sri Lanka, though, will feel a tinge of relief as they reflect on the
first day's play. The Kandy hoodoo (six defeats in eleven games) has
been lurking at the back of their minds this week and at one stage
they looked to be in dire trouble having slipped 101 for four and then
138 for five.
Like he did in against England last March in similar circumstances
Mahela Jayawardene fought back with a sublime century, full of
effortless pulls and languid cover drives. He scored 104 from 149
balls and compiled crucial middle order partnerships with Hashan
Tillakaratne, Suresh Perera, and Chaminda Vaas of 37, 51 and 43
respectively.
Even after the fall of Jayawardene, caught behind as he poked at an
outswinger from Venkatesh Prasad, Sri Lanka continued to frustrate
India with a 29 run ninth wicket partnership, full of forthright
stroke play from Chaminda Vaas, who ended up the second highest run
scorer with an unbeaten 42 off 61 balls.
Sri Lanka had made the worst possible start this morning when star
batsman Sanath Jaysuriya was run out in the fifth over of the day.
Jayasuriya had glanced to leg and immediately sensed the possibility
of two runs. Marvan Atapattu, however, failed to notice his partner's
urgency and settled for one. The Sri Lankan captain, running to the
danger end, was left stranded.
Kumar Sangakkara and Marvan Atapattu responded positively. Indian coach John Wright keeps reminding us that 70 per cent of bowling is about "getting the ball in the right areas," but for the next hour the Indian bowlers appeared confused, with 70 per cent of the bowling being utter rubbish. They made the pitch look like a featherbed which it wasn't and rattled on to 58 for one
after the first 70 minutes.
A timely downpour gave them an opportunity to regroup and when they
returned, the bowling improved and the run scoring slowed. Then, just
before the luncheon interval, Sourav Ganguly made an inspired bowling
change: he brought himself on.
He bowled gun barrel straight - he also ran straight down the wicket
and was warned twice by umpire Steve Bucknor - and wobbled the ball in
the air. His first over was a maiden and in his second he struck a
vital blow, as Sangakkara edged an attempted cover drive, having
scored 31 from 51 balls, and Sadogoppan Ramesh held onto to an
excellent catch in the gully.
In the next over, the last before the interval, Zaheer Khan returned
for a second spell. Atapattu's batting had had a pre-destined air
about it, as if fate had already informed him that his incredible
success in Kandy was to continue (He averages 85 here and has already
scored two double centuries), but Khan created a moment of indecision
and the ball cannoned into his stumps as he tried to leave the ball at
the last minute. Atapattu had scored 39 from 79 balls and Sri Lanka
were 82 for three.
India continued with Ganguly and Khan after lunch and so well did they
bowl that Harbhajan Singh was not required until the 47th over of the
innings. Suddenly the ball was darting off the pitch and swinging
through the air. Russel Arnold was dismissed for five as he edged a
good length delivery to first slip and, when Prasad replaced Khan,
Hashan Tillakaratne belied his reputation for studious accumulation
with a reckless cut to be caught behind. Sri Lanka were 138 for five.
Jayawardene, who's first scoring stroke was a minimalist straight
drive to the boundary, had played himself in carefully, but sensed the
time had come to raise the tempo, or face a slow painful demise.
Seeing the ball like a jackfruit he was merciless on the loose ball,
waiting until the last millisecond before he caressed it into a vacant
gap.
Speaking afterwards Jayawardene claimed the innings to be: "One of my
best Test knocks if you take into account the conditions, which
favoured the fast bowlers, and the fact that they bowled well."
Tomorrow we will find out just how important it was.
© CricInfo
Teams
|
India,
Sri Lanka.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Mahela Jayawardene,
Marvan Atapattu,
Sourav Ganguly,
Zaheer Khan,
Harbhajan Singh,
Sanath Jayasuriya,
Venkatesh Prasad,
Hashan Tillakaratne,
Russel Arnold,
Kumar Sangakkara,
Chaminda Vaas.
|
Tours
|
India in Sri Lanka
|
Scorecard
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2nd Test: Sri Lanka v India, 22-26 Aug 2001 |
Grounds
|
Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy
|