Sehwag stays firm but Sri Lanka on top

AFP

Galle, 20 July 2010: India lost three top order batsmen as they went about chasing Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 520/8 declared. The visitors have their backs to the wall and their initial target will be to reach the 321 mark that is required to avoid the follow on. Earlier India’s seamers grabbed four important wickets on the third morning when play finally resumed in the rain-hit first Test on Tuesday. The hosts, starting at Sunday’s score of 256-2, moved to 361-6 by lunch as the sun broke through for the first time in two days at the Galle International Stadium.

 

 

The second day’s play had been washed out on Monday without a ball being bowled, while 22 overs were lost on the first due to heavy rain in this southern coastal town. When play started an hour late on Tuesday, India’s young seam attack of Ishant Sharma and debutant Abhimanyu Mithun rattled the Sri Lankans with appreciable movement both in the air and off the wicket. Opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who hit a maiden Test century on the first day, managed to add just one run to his score of 110 when he was caught behind off Sharma in the day’s second over.

 

Mithun struck 10 balls later by trapping new batsman Thilan Samaraweera leg-before for zero, two deliveries after the batsman was dropped at first slip by Rahul Dravid. Mahela Jayawardene put on 62 for the fifth wicket with Angelo Mathews, before he was claimed leg-before by Sharma with a ball that dipped in sharply. The former captain made an attractive 48 with six boundaries.

 

Mathews fell for 41 just before the lunch break when Venkatsai Laxman dived to his right at second slip to pick up a low catch off Sharma. Bad weather has been forecast on all five days of the match, which marks the final Test appearance for Sri Lanka’s world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan. The off-spinner needs eight scalps to reach the unprecedented 800-wicket mark, adding to his record haul of 515 one-day wickets.