da wazamba： A maiden Test century from Kumar Sangakkara and a dramatic secondinnings collapse by the India’s top order in the evening left SriLanka on the verge of an emphatic victory in the first Test at theGalle International Stadium on Thursday
da esport bet： Charlie Austin16-Aug-2001A maiden Test century from Kumar Sangakkara and a dramatic secondinnings collapse by the India’s top order in the evening left SriLanka on the verge of an emphatic victory in the first Test at theGalle International Stadium on Thursday.India had come back briefly in the morning, when they took Sri Lanka’slast seven wickets for 68 runs, but they still conceded a 175-run leadand then folded up feebly in the second innings, losing seven wicketsfor 83 runs in an extended evening session. Sri Lanka requested thefinal half hour, but bad light stopped play with India on 130 foreight.Sri Lanka, then, have paved the way for only their second Test victoryagainst India in their 20-year Test history. The last time was in SriLanka’s inaugural Test triumph at the P.Saravanamuttu Stadium back in1985.More importantly, they have grabbed the initiative in a congestedseries and now have a good chance of winning their first Test seriesin 16 months. With just four days rest before the second Test inKandy, India face a huge mental and physical challenge if they aregoing to come back into the reckoning.Sadagoppan Ramesh (2) set the tone for India’s reply. His feet stuckto the crease like stone, he groped at a full-length outswinger fromRuchira Perera and lost his off stump. India went into tea on 26 forone.After the interval, the wheels came off. Shiv Sunder Das (23) flatbatted a catch to point, Mohammad Kaif (14) was caught at short legoff Muttiah Muralitharan, and captain Sourav Ganguly missed a straightdelivery from Dilhara Fernando. India were 64 for four.By now Muralitharan was going in for the kill and Sri Lanka’s closefielders converged around the bat in excited anticipation. His jobmade easier by the early wounds inflicted by the fast bowlers, hebowled a 17 over spell, picking up four wickets in the process.Hemang Badani (5) was adjudged to have been caught behind, thoughreplays suggested the ball had only brushed the pad; Sameer Dighe (3)was scooped up by a predatory Russel Arnold at silly point; andHarbhajan Singh was teased by his fellow artisan before being deceivedin the air to give a return catch.Sanath Jayasuriya nearly finished the game off before the 6.39 close.He had Zaheer Khan caught at silly point with the first ball he bowledand then narrowly failed to take the final wicket (Javagal Srinath isnot expected to bat because of a badly swollen left hand), when MahelaJayawardene flung himself to his left, but was unable to grasp a sharpchance.Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid batted defiantly for nearly three hours. Heremained unbeaten till the close on 37, but without support from hispartners, his efforts will prove futile, unless, of course, it rainsfor two consecutive days.The morning was dominated by Sangakkara. A law student who tries tocram in his studies in between international commitments, he startedthe day on 54. Whilst wickets fell around him he extended Sri Lanka’s77-run overnight lead and remained unbeaten to the end, batting for226 balls and six hours in searing temperatures for his 105.Sangakkara had scored four Test fifties already in his short Testcareer, including a rearguard 98 in South Africa and an exhilarating95 during a tense Test against England in March, but was under extremepressure in this game after a string of low scores in the one-day gameand a scratchy series against Pakistan A.He is a free flowing stroke maker by nature, but impressed in thisinnings with his adhesiveness and determination. During each break inplay, he practiced studiously, drilling balls into the sight screenbeside the dressing room. He looked diffident and circumspect lastafternoon and was dropped once when he had made eight, but he kept hiscomposure and gradually grew in confidence.By the end though his batting was imperious. It had to be too. When ChamindaVaas was seventh man out, Sangakkara was still 28 runs short of his hundredwith a fragile tail exposed. He went on to the attack, pulling and cuttinganything remotely short. He was strong off his legs too, slickly clippingthe ball off his pads.Then, Fernando drove straight to short cover like a coach giving fieldingpractice and Ruchira Perera only lasted two balls before he guided a shortball into the gloves of Sammer Dighe. Muralitharan strode to the crease,wielding his bat like an offensive weapon, with Sangakkara still eight runsshort.Muralitharan nobly refrained from playing his most unorthodox swipes, butSangakkara’s heart was in his mouth every delivery. Eventually he got hischance and lofted a good length ball from Srinath straight down the groundfor his hundred. Muralitharan could contain himself no longer and he waspromptly caught on the square leg fence to end the innings.
