India’s biggest victory over Srilanka also gave them their 100th Test win at the Green Park stadium at Kanpur on Friday. They achieved this milestone after playing 432 test matches. Their tails are up and will take on Srilanka in the third and final test at Mumbai with courage and confidence.
Resuming on 417 for two, India lost their last six wickets for a meagre 29 runs when the 700-mark was quite in sight. Sri Lanka were 66 for one at end of play on Wednesday as Paranavitana was not out on 30 with Sangakkara (30) in company which was in reply to India’s mammoth score of 642 in the first innings.
The top three Indian batsmen – Sehwag, Gautam and Dravid – slammed centuries. India looked for some early breakthroughs in the third morning as Sri Lanka had to climb a mountain of runs compiled by India. India had included Sreeshant and Pragyan Ojha in the playing eleven and Sreesanth had other ideas. He had come back to India Test XI after 18 months lay-off and it was a do or die situation for him.
With Zaheer Khan ably supporting him from the other end, Shreesant wrecked the Srilankan batting line-up by claiming five wickets for 75 in the first innings. They bundled up Srilanka for a meagre 229.
S Sreesanth marked his return to international cricket with a devastating display of seam bowling to put India on the threshold of a remarkable victory in the second Test against a hapless Sri Lanka here on Thursday. With Sreesanth breathing fire, Sri Lanka’s feeble first innings wilted for 229, a whopping 413 runs behind the hosts’ massive first innings total of 642. This was also India’s highest first innings lead over the Lankans.
Following on, Sri Lankan top order collapsed again like a house of cards and the visitors finished the day at a precarious 57 for four with Angelo Mathews (2) and Thilan Samaraweera (1) in the middle. The islanders need to score another 356 runs to make India bat again.
Sreesanth was the pick of the Indian bowlers on the third day. The temperamental pacer bent his back and hit the deck hard to walk away with all the honours on day three.
Pragyan Ojha also tasted first blood when had Mahila Jayawardane caught by Sachin Tendulkar at mid-on.
Sreesanth
India started their journey towards victory on the penultimate day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Green Park stadium here on Friday. Zaheer Khan claimed the first breakthrough of the day within half an hour of the play began after the overnight duo of Angelo Mathews (2) and Thilan Samaraweera (1) resumed play in the middle. Mathews went for a pull and edged to Dravid who dived to his right to take a smart catch at gully. Sri Lanka did try to do the repair work in bits and pieces but were ultimately skittled out for 269 runs in the second innings.
India won the second test at Kanpur by an innings and 144 runs.
In these 18 months Sreesanth has reformed and matured into a fine cricketer. He has undergone considerable counselling and has left his childlike habits in the dustbin near his home.
Skipper M.S.Dhoni praised test debutant Pragyan Ojha for his accurate bowling and was composed even though he was playing his first test.
Ravi Matah