India in Sri Lanka

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Ljp86

Ljp86

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India in Sri Lanka

India's tour of Sri Lanka is already in progress. India played only one practice game in the lead-up to the opening test, which was a three day tour game against the Sri Lankan Board XI. That game ended in a draw, not even three declarations could bring about a result.

The tour promises to be an entertaining one with Sri Lanka in pretty good form, the addition of Ajantha Mendis could prove to be a winning one with his unpredictability in the Asian Cup series gave Sri Lanka a distinct advantage. Sri Lanka also won against India in the final of the Asian Cup so they'll take a psychological advantage heading into this series on their home turf. Whether that helps them in the tests is yet to be seen.

Anyway, here's the schedule.

18 - 20 July: Tour Game - Sri Lankan Board XI vs Indians

23 - 27 July: First Test - Sri Lanka vs India at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo

31 July - 4 August: Second Test - Sri Lanka vs India at Galle International Stadium, Galle

8 - 12 August: Third Test - Sri Lanka vs India at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

15 August: Tour Game - TBC vs Indians at Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground, Colombo

18 August: 1st ODI - Sri Lanka v India at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

20 August: 2nd ODI - Sri Lanka v India at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

24 August: 3rd ODI - Sri Lanka v India at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (D/N)

26 August: 4th ODI - Sri Lanka v India at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (D/N)

29 August: 5th ODI - Sri Lanka v India at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (D/N)


Three tests and five one-dayers, should be a great little series. These two teams seem evenly matched.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

The first test has just started, delayed by rain and a wet outfield.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first on a dry pitch that is covered in cracks. Each side boasts two spinners and this pitch will favour them heavily as the game goes on. Expect Muralitharan, Mendis, Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to be bowling a lot of overs.

Sri Lanka XI: Michael Vandort, Malinda Warnapura, Kumar Sangakkara, *Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillekeratne Dilshan, +Prasanna Jayawardene, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan

India XI: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, +Dinesh Karthik, *Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma


No MS Dhoni there, he is not touring at all after asking the BCCI for a break which he was granted.

Only early days yet in this game, Jayawardene maust be questioning his decision to bat first (although Kumble said he would have done the same), Vandort edges to Karthik after chasing one away from his body giving Sharma the first wicket of the series. Vandort is out for three.

1/7 from four overs.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Zaheer Khan got Sangakkara for 12 but Mahela Jayawardene and Warnapura have consolidated since then.

Currently we're off for bad light with the score 2/85, Warnapura has looked impressive and has 50 not out already, Jayawardene is on 16.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Play has been called off. Sri Lanka remain at 2/85.

Play will start half an hour early tomorrow (9:15am local time, 3:45am GMT).
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Good start to the day from Sri Lanka. Warnapura and Jayawardene have continued on from where they left off yesterday, they've scored 104 runs today from a little bit than 29 overs, Warnapura has just brought up his century, 103 runs from 164 balls, that's his second test ton and probably won't be the last either. Jayawardene has another 50, he's 59 not out now.

Sri Lanka are batting very well at the moment, Warnapura looks to be a very good player. India can't seem to find a breakthrough at this stage.

2/189 after 52 overs.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka batted themselves to an almost unbeatable position on day 2. Warnapura, Jayawardene and Samaraweera all scored centuries as the Lankans cruised to 4/422 at stumps. Samaraweera is still undefeated on 111 with Tillekeratne Dilshan not out on 20. Jayawardene's century was his ninth at the SSC ground and he equaled Don Bradman's record of most centuries at an individual venue (Bradman scored nine centuries from 11 innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground).

India had an ordinary day highlighted by some poor fielding and also some bad luck. Zaheer Khan had Warnapura caught and bowled on 55 but had slightly overstepped the crease thus making the ball a no-ball. Karthik also dropped two chances behind the stumps, both edges courtesy of Jayawardene and also via the bowling of Anil Kumble, not the man you want to drop a catch off when he's the captain.

India toiled hard all day, Ishant Sharma remains their best bowler with 2/97, Harbhajan Singh got the wicket of Warnapura with Sharma's second wicket being that of the Sri Lankan captain.

A great day for Sri Lanka, plenty of runs and they'll be looking at a sub-500 score before declaring as the day wears on provided they aren't bowled out.

Today was also a first for the use of technology in decision making. The ICC stated earlier in the year that this series would be the first to use the ball tracker or "hawkeye" technology in making decisions, particularly LBW's. In the 46th over, India made such a challenge when Harbhajan Singh beat Warnapura's bat to hit his pad in front of middle and leg stump. Mark Benson, the umpire, turned the appeal down but India made a formal challenge which proved unsuccessful as replays showed the ball was missing leg stump despite straightening slightly. India now have two more unsuccessful attempts remaining.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are cruising and don't look to be troubled much at all. Indians could be on the fall away with an ageing side becoming the new young side
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan juggernaut kept going on Day 3 as they kept racking up the runs. Samaraweera fell for 127 with the score at 454. Howver, Dilshan took over from the recently departed Samaraweera and brought up a century of his own and eventually finished 125 not out when Jayawardene called it quits at 6/600. Prasanna Jayawardene made 30 but became the sixth man out.

It wasn't good reading for the Indian bowlers. Zaheer Khan, Sharma and Harbhajan Singh all took two wickets but conceded over 100 runs in doing so. Anil Kumble also gave up 100 runs and went wicketless but could have had at least one if not for Karthik getting the fumbles.

In reply, India aren't in great shape, they're 3/97, still 503 behind Sri Lanka. Virender Sehwag was out for 25 to Kulasekara, Gautam Gambhir made 39 but then fell victim to Muralitharan and then Rahul Dravid was out for 14 less than one over late, giving Ajantha Mendis his first ever test wicket.

Currently, it's Tendulkar and Ganguly at the crease with Laxman and Karthik to follow, they all have a lot of work to do to even get near Sri Lanka's total.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

India proceed to be bowled out for 223. Murali took 5 and Mendis took 4.

Then India had to bat again and managed to do even worse than the first innings. They were bowled out for 138. Murali took 6 and Mendis 4.

So 19 out of the 20 Indian wickets were taken by the Sri Lankan spinner.

Sri Lanka won by an innings and 239 runs, India's 3rd largest defeat in their test match history.

It seems Mendis could be the real deal, will be interesting to see him in the champions trophy.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Poor stuff from India. I don't think the pitch was that bad but Murali and Mendis just bamboozled them. They'll be very, very disappointed with that effort.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

India were 0/151 off 29 overs before rain stopped play.

Sehwag is 91 off 82 :eek:
Gambhir is 50 off 92

Murali and Mendis look like they've been carted, total opposite of the last game.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

4/214 at stumps with the Indian batters accepting the light. Sehwag made a fine century, 128 not out from only 122 balls, pretty memerising stuff. His innings included 19 fours and 2 sixes. Gambhir was the first to fall for 56 and that lead to a collapse which saw India lose 3/5 with Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar all going very cheaply.

Vaas took two wickets and Mendis got two as the Sri Lankan bowlers bore the brunt of Sehwag's constant attacks, Mendis in particular although Vaas escaped the carnage somewhat.

An even day, no real winner, day two will tell us more. If Sehwag can score big India should have an advantage before the Lankans begin their innings.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

India have fallen apart on day two. They've reached 8/320, mainly thanks to a fine innings by Virender Sehwag who is still there on 192 not out!! Laxman scored 39 before falling to Mendis, Karthik was LBW to Mendis 12 runs later, Kumble was foxed by Muralitharan which lead to a stumpiung and not long ago Harbhajan was bowled by Mendis in what has been a very good bowling effort from the youngster, he has 5/114 so far with still two wickets remaining of the Indian innings. Sehwag has been the star though in what has been a very lean looking scorecard for the Indians, Only Gambhir, Sehwag and Laxman have scored more than 10 and that is a pretty sub-standard effort.

33 overs bowled today and only three bowlers have been used thus far, Vaas, Murali and Mendis, Kulasekara hasn't seen the cherry yet. The new ball is due in about two overs, he may get a bowl then but I can't see Mendis being dragged.

Sehwag will be looking for 200, they'll be happy with a total of 400 if Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma can hang around.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Uh-oh. Zaheer goes for a horrible slog-sweep and top edges to the waiting Prasanna Jayawardene. That give Murali his second wicket for the innings.

9/323 now, Sehwag on 195, can he get 200? Sharma is the last man for India.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

All over. There's a video review for the last wicket, Sharma calls for it, ball pitched on off stump and hit him in front of off and middle. Third umpire verdict says out and India are all out for 329, Sharma making a duck. Sehwag got his double century though and remains 201 not out. He is the second Indian batsman to "carry his bat" in test cricket, the first was Sunil Gavaskar. Remarkably, Sehwag scored 61.09% of his team's total, that will be right up there in terms of percentage of runs scored. A wonderful effort from Sehwag, had he failed, India would have struggled to get past 150.

For Sri Lanka, Mendis claims the wicket of Sharma to finish with 6/117, another impressive performance. The wicket is slow however and the slowness of the wicket will suit Mendis. Kumble and Harbhajan will have their turn after the lunch break.
 
Re: India in Sri Lanka

Sehway doesn't muck around with the bat. When he wants to score massive centuries he does. How many double century plus has he made now 6 or 7 surely?

Mendis again showing he is the man for the future for Sri Lankan bowling
 
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