India hits bumps in run chase
Source: Agencies |
August 7, 2010, Saturday
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SURAJ Randiv took three wickets as India, chasing 257 to win, struggled to 53-3 at stumps on day four of the third test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Earlier, Thilan Samaraweera and tailender Ajantha Mendis shared a record 118 runs for the ninth wicket to rescue the hosts.
India, chasing a win to even the three-match series at 1-1, needs to score 204 runs on the final day with seven wickets in hand. The match remains finely poised with India's three main batsmen still available and Sri Lanka's spinners Randiv and Mendis hoping for breakthroughs on a fifth-day pitch at P. Sara Oval offering turn and bounce.
"It is difficult to play spin on this pitch in the morning session and if we could take three wickets the match will end by mid afternoon," Mendis said.
Offspinner Randiv had Virender Sehwag caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene without scoring and bowled Rahul Dravid for seven runs.
Murali Vijay was caught at short-leg by Mahela Jayawardene for 27 runs to give Randiv his third wicket.
Sachin Tendulkar reached 11 at the close with nightwatchman Ishant Sharma on two.
Samaraweera and Mendis came to Sri Lanka's rescue with their Sri Lanka record stand after Indian spinners skittled their lineup in the morning session, taking six wickets for 98 runs.
The hosts resumed day four on 45-2 but left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha sparked a collapse when he trapped nightwatchman Randiv leg before wicket for six before claiming the prize wickets of Mahela Jayawardene (5) and Kumar Sangakkara (28) at the expense of one run.
Legspinner Amit Mishra had Anjelo Mathews (5) caught by Tendulkar and dismissed Prasanna Jayawardene (0) LBW off successive deliveries to leave Sri Lanka at 87-7.
Samaraweera and Lasith Malinga resisted briefly with a 38-run stand for the eighth wicket before Sehwag trapped Malinga lbw for 15 runs to leave the hosts on a precarious 125-8.
Samaraweera anchored the innings with a classic 83 off 139 balls including six boundaries before edging seamer Abhimanyu Mithun to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Mendis brought up his maiden test and first class half-century and was last out for 78 caught by Suresh Raina off Mishra. He faced 157 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and a six.
Mendis said he was uncertain of his form when he went in to bat and only wanted to support Samaraweera to score as many runs as possible.
"But I gradually grew in confidence to score runs myself," he said.
Mendis added that he had not paid much attention to his batting, concentrating on bowling only.
"Later I realized the importance of batting and worked very hard on it. I think I was rewarded for that."
Mishra was the pick of India's bowlers, going 3-47 while Sehwag had 3-51 and Ojha returned 3-89.
India was dismissed for 436 runs in its first innings in reply to Sri Lanka's 425.
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